Cecily's Fund Easter Newsletter 2014

Easter Newsletter 2014

Emerging Zambian Entrepreneurs During her most recent visit to Zambia, trained in entrepreneurship skills.

“It’s a blessing. Most of the drop outs

Cecily’s Fund Director Molly Brech visited

now have hope. It’s like it (Fresh Start)

the school in Chazanga run by the Bwafwano

Integrated

Services

Organisation (BISO) to see 60 young Zambians graduate from our Fresh Start programme.

Each

graduate

had

completed 17 modules of business skills, including setting up and closing down a mock company.

Mrs Chola, BISO’s CEO, opened the event telling the young people, who have been supported through school so far by Cecily’s Fund, that Fresh Start has “given you the means to move away from a position of dependency and to feel

empowered

to

contribute

to

Zambia’s development.” For many of these young people, the certificate they

BISO's playground - normally teeming have received is a significant milestone.

has given them a second chance. It’s going to be a huge milestone for them, to do this programme. Some were pregnant, married off and now they are attending entrepreneurship and back to school sessions. Most African girls don’t think about the future. Now they are really

taking

it

on

and

we

are

encouraging them a lot.”

with excitable crowds of children - was They may have to juggle caring for Your support for opportunities like this transformed for the event, with the Fresh relatives, siblings and earning a meagre helps young Zambians to secure a safe Start trainees proudly sporting suits. living with the desire to go to school. livelihood. If you would like more Underlining

the

importance

of

the Until Fresh Start started, they did not information on Fresh Start, please do not

occasion, CEO of Junior Achievement have the opportunity to learn about hesitate to get in touch.

Zambia told the young people, “you are business. In Zambia, the business world not vulnerable people - you are young is seen as separate from school life, but entrepreneurs.”

this project is changing local attitudes,

The graduation ceremony was a part of Cecily’s Fund’s three year Fresh Start

as

the

benefits

of

entrepreneurial

training are more widely understood.

project with DFID UK Aid to help BISO works very closely with the local Zambian orphans who are at risk of community in all its work, and it has dropping out, to return to education. spent time informing everyone about Once back in school regularly, these Fresh Start. One young girls brought children

learn

how

to

run

mock both her grandfather and her sister

companies, so that they can gain skills along to support her at the graduation, that will help them to contribute to their as they have both really encouraged her family’s income. In addition, children we to complete the course. A Fresh Start have helped all the way through school, trainer, Anna, who is 20 years old, who have been unable to get a job, are explains the impact of this project:

CEO of BISO, Mrs Chola, pictured with two Fresh Start graduates in Chazanga on February 22nd, 2014

George wants to be the first in his family to complete school “I was born in 1996. My father he left me work as a garden boy to pay my school before I was in grade 3. My mother (who is fees. I assist a police officer, fetching water, a maid) still lives in Kitwe but she is re- doing other work. I explain my situation to married and the step father does not like teachers. If they can help me, they will. me. He shouts at me saying - ‘I don't want you, your own father did not support you and us we are suffering because of that’. I have a young sister who remains with my mother. She does not get along with my step father and I worry a lot about her. The step father, he drinks. I don't want to confuse my mother's marriage so I stay George is supported by Cecily’s Fund and is currently in his final year at school

away.

I was a charcoal burner (making charcoal from wood to sell) in grade 8 so I could support myself. I would buy soap, socks and lotion with the money I raised from selling charcoal. I would sell it at the lowest price as I needed the money so much. Even during school I would raise some money. I

I didn't manage to get everything for school. My shoes were very badly damaged and the teacher asked me why. I explained my situation and so (Cecily’s Fund and local partner) helped me with a school uniform and some shoes. I still have those shoes now. They are nice.’

Young people like George can struggle to attend school regularly, often due to factors

outside

their

control.

George

missed three weeks of school, as he had to travel across Zambia to get the original certificate for his grade 9 exam. He now dreams of being the first in his family to complete school, and then joining the army.

Hope gains confidence as a peer health educator with CHEP Hope is a current “Advocate 4 Change” School fees were really hard to pay and this with the Hands on Learning project, a really affected me a lot as I thought why partnership between Cecily’s Fund, Comic should I not be part of kids going to Relief

and

CHEP

(Copperbelt

Health school? I wanted to have hope like the

Education Project). Hope was helped to others. complete school by Cecily’s Fund and she also

did

the

peer

health

education

programme with CHEP. She is now 21 years old, and she is working with Itimpi community in Kitwe. She told us:

To be a peer educator and an advocate, you have to be very strong to talk in front of people and at first I did not have the confidence. The peer health education programme with CHEP helped me a lot. It

“I thought I was the only orphan but the has given me skills and also the confidence problem was actually an issue in my whole to help train and educate others. I can raise Hope is a current “Advocate 4 Change” with the Hands on Learning Project run by Cecily’s Fund, Comic Relief and CHEP

community and after the training (with awareness of issues facing orphans in CHEP) I discovered more orphans and education now. I like to say that it is better vulnerable children like me existing in my to have a heart without a word than a word community.

During my education, the main issue I faced was having no food at home. I was not an active participant in my community.

without heart. Now I have the courage to be able to commit to my community and also I have the heart to look after orphans and make life better.’’

Ruth is passionate about becoming a doctor We

interviewed

Ruth,

after

she

had boyfriends

or

it's

problems

with

accepted her certificate for the Fresh Start sponsorship, especially when parents die. programme. She was a pupil at Bwafwano, There's one girl at my school at the and then sponsored through secondary moment who is pregnant. I don't think she school in a local government school by will come back. Studying and looking after Cecily’s Fund. She reflected on the help she a baby, it's too hard”. has received from staff.

As part of the Fresh Start project, Mrs

“Mr Kataso (BISO Head of Education) is so Chola, CEO of BISO, did a presentation to useful, it has really helped me so much. It's Ruth and her friends about how to set up a real privilege for me. I manage to go to your own organisation: school fine enough but my problem is text books. They don't allow you to take them home. I need science textbooks most especially, so that I can do extra study at

'Mrs Chola came to speak to girls at my school. She is my inspiration. She has

Ruth studied at BISO and

called us for a meeting here since then.'

has just collected her Fresh Start certificate

home to become a doctor”. and Ruth is very clear about what the future orphans in particular dropping out of holds: “I have this passion to be a doctor in school, she says “at times it involves the future. I am looking forward to achieving it”.

Explaining

the

reasons

for

girls

Save the Date!

Follow Us!

The annual Cecily’s Fund celebration and picnic taking is place this year on

Saturday 6th September In Stonesfield, Oxfordshire Further details to follow

www.cecilysfund.org

facebook.com/cecilysfund twitter.com/cecilysfund youtube.com/cecilysfund

For all the latest updates

Connecting Classrooms: Linking UK and Zambian Schools Cecily’s Fund has partnered with BISO, a ‘It was really fun. It was the same way of community-based centre for children teaching as we have normally but affected by HIV in the outskirts of the different subjects in the lessons. We capital city Lusaka, since 2004. We actually learned quite a lot.’ currently provide salaries for the six teaching staff, a midday meal for every pupil and administration costs for the project’s school, which educates 650 children from pre-school to Grade 4. We also sponsor children to progress on to local government schools in the area.

Mr Kataso was asked by British pupils to explain the biggest differences between school in the UK and in Zambia. He pointed out that pupils at BISO have generally lost one of both parents, and that as demand is so high for learning,

Bambala Kataso, Head of Education

they split the day into three sessions of

at BISO’s community school, will visit

BISO’s Head of Education, Mr Bambala two and a half hours. Most children at

Stoke Row school again in 2014

Kataso will visit the UK this year, on a BISO therefore have two and a half British Council-funded scheme to share hours of taught supervision per day. He teaching practice globally known as said that BISO, with 650 students, is Connecting Classrooms. Mr Kataso will much bigger than a country primary be returning to Stoke Row School in school in the UK. Mr Kataso explained Oxfordshire in May as part of a linking that British children are very privileged scheme with Stoke Row’s teacher Gillian to gain access to text books and learning Fraser, who worked with Cecily’s Fund in materials. In Zambia, text books for the the past. Gillian will travel out to BISO children are very rare. There are not later in the year to complete the project.

This is the second year that the British Council has funded the exchange. Gillian and Mr Kataso made a short film of their

enough books available for each child to have their own. Teachers generally use one text book and copy out sections for children to learn by rote.

programme last year, as part of the Children in BISO and Stoke Row were Global Citizenship curriculum. Children each

asked

what

qualities

were

in both countries reported that the important in a teacher. Stoke Row pupils project was a really good chance to get responded that teachers should be to know one another better, and to encouraging, patient, smart and sporty, understand what life was like in a so that the pupils can learn to have a completely different environment from healthy life. Zambian pupils said that their own. Many of the children were teachers were vital to helping them surprised by the similarities in interests- become educated, so that they could get both

Zambian

and

British

children a job.

enjoyed football, art, and spending time with friends and family. When asked

Please keep an eye on the news section

on our website for the opportunity to what it was like to be taught by Mr meet Mr Kataso when he comes to Kataso, pupils at Stoke Row responded: Oxfordshire again in May 2014.

To see a video of Mr. Kataso’s 2013 visit to the UK and Stoke Row school, visit our YouTube channel.

Coming up: bid for celebrity school reports during new online campaign As part of the celebrations of our 15th anniversary year, Cecily’s Fund has made a creative partnership with London advertising agency BETC to auction celebrity school reports to raise funds and build awareness of our work.

Celebrities including Idris Elba, Joanna Lumley, Alison Steadman, James Nesbitt, the new Dr Who actor Peter Capaldi and many more have generously given us “school reports” with funny and ironic stories from their own schooldays.

As well as being a fantastic keepsake and an insight into their lives, the stars’ contributions will be linked to the stories of the children we are supporting in Zambia, who rely on our support for the chance to go to school. The celebrity reports will be auctioned online in aid of Cecily’s Fund in June and July, with a major print, broadcast and on-line media campaign to raise awareness of our work alongside the event. As the auction approaches, we would really appreciate your

Joanna

Lumley

celebrities

is

one

contributing

of

the

a school

report to the forthcoming campaign

help in spreading the word about this very special opportunity via social media.

The auction is scheduled to take place over ten days from 25th June to 4th July 2014. Please put the dates in your diary and look out for further news about the auction nearer the time.

A Sunday in Spring at Wotton House On March 23rd over 60 guests joined Basil and Alison Eastwood for a wonderful luncheon with music and theatrical entertainment, as guests of David Gladstone at historic Wotton House in Buckinghamshire.

Spring had arrived! The house and gardens looked beautiful, and before lunch our guests were treated to sonatas for viola, harp and flute by Ravel and Debussy played by a talented trio of Royal College of Music students – Cassandra Hutchings, Jihyun Chang and Laura Peh. Following an excellent three-course meal, Basil Eastwood gave a moving personal presentation on Cecily’s Fund and the pressing need to support the orphans and vulnerable children of Zambia. Later we were entertained by Caroline Friend, performing one of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads pieces, ‘A Bed Among the Lentils’, with extraordinary conviction and recall, and Angela Knapp delivering a comic critique of Wagner’s Ring Cycle in impressive operatic style.

Guests were treated to a house tour by our host and admired the early 19 th century country house designed by John Soane and its newly-decorated interiors.

We would like to thank all our friends who supported the event and particularly David Gladstone for opening his house to us so generously for the day. The event

Wotton

House

in

Wotton

has so far raised just over £2,500 for Cecily’s Fund, which will make a real

Underwood,

difference to the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in Zambia.

played host to A Sunday in Spring

Buckinghamshire

Inspiring supporter events open 2014 Two excellent events took place in the first two months of the year to open the calendar of supporter-run events in 2014.

In January, the latest in Peter Clifton’s series of “Poems and Prose in a Pub” events took place at the Rose and Crown in Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Those who attended heard readings from Elizabeth Wade’s unpublished novel The Last Post, Pam Nixon’s But I’ll Remember This and Nick Hooper’s The Lie of the Land.

The event raised over £90 for Cecily’s Fund, and another instalment in the series is planned to take place later in the year.

The Senior Street Sextet and friends at The Spice of Life, Soho, February 23rd

Your Event Here!

On February 23rd, The Spice of Life in Soho, London played host to a very successful jazz and blues evening organised by Cecily’s Fund supporter Chris Conway-Hughes. His band, the Senior Street Sextet, played with some special

Are you running an event

guests and the 100-place event was sold out. Cecily’s Fund chairman William

or

Powlett-Smith attended and gave a short talk about the our work. The show

challenge for Cecily’s Fund?

has so far raised almost £2,500 for Cecily’s Fund and donations are still being accepted at Chris’ Virgin Money Giving page. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/seniorstreet

Supporters take on fundraising challenges This year, Cecily’s Fund supporters are taking on exciting challenges at both new and well-established events. Two longstanding supporters have already completed big challenges, and you can still donate via online fundraising pages.

Sarah Richards (pictured opposite, left) attended the same school as Cecily Eastwood - Bedales School in Hampshire - and completed the London Marathon on April 13th. Including Gift Aid, she has so far raised an amazing £2,000 for Cecily’s Fund. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SarahRichards3 Corinna Witt (pictured bottom right) is an Associate of Cecily’s Fund and a former trustee who was responsible for the charity's website until 2010. At the Berlin Airport Night Run event on April 12th, she completed a 10,000 metre run to raise money for Cecily’s Fund. http://www.justgiving.com/Corinna-Witt/ Philippa Tolmay is Cecily’s sister, a Cecily’s Fund trustee, and also secretary to the board. Philippa and her colleagues at Doughty Street Chambers will once again be running in the British 10K London Run. This year’s event takes place on July 13th. Cecily’s Fund still has a number of guaranteed charity places available for this event - if you would like to take part in the run and to raise money for Cecily’s Fund, please get in touch and we can send you an application form.

taking

part

in

a

Please contact us and we can

feature

newsletter

you

in

the

A quick guide to fundraising online for Cecily’s Fund There are now more ways than ever for you to raise money for Cecily’s Fund online. It’s not just sponsored events that you can take on to help support our work - you can also turn everyday tasks like selling unwanted goods, buying all kinds of products and services or even just searching the web into ways of supporting the education of children in Zambia. Here is a quick guide.

Buy

Sell

Search

Online retailers are now the go-to

If you find yourself needing to sell on

You might be surprised by how much

choice for many purchases. Did you

any unwanted goods, this can also be

money you can raise just by searching

realise that you can raise money for

a good opportunity to raise money.

the

Cecily’s Fund each time you shop on

When you sell items through eBay,

(supplied by EasyFundraising) and

the web - at no extra cost to yourself?

you can mark them as charitable items

EveryClick (supplied by Give as you

Give as you Live and EasyFundraising

and select Cecily’s Fund as your

Live)

both

when

chosen charity. You can select any

donations for Cecily’s Fund each time

purchasing from a huge range of

amount between 10% and 100% of

you search. The sites aggregate results

popular retailers. All you need to do is

the proceeds to go directly to Cecily’s

from a variety of popular search

sign up to one of the services, and

Fund.

the

engines, so that you can raise funds

click through to the retailer you need.

satisfaction of knowing that the sale of

without compromising on the quality

When you pay, they will make a small

your unwanted items - anything from

of

donation which will be collected by

books and DVDs to clothes and even

EasySearch as an example, you could

Give as you Live or EasyFundraising

cars - has helped to fund our work

raise as much as £20 a year just by

and transferred to Cecily’s Fund.

with the most vulnerable children in

making ten searches a day.

allow

you

do

this

www.giveasyoulive.com www.easyfundraising.org.uk

Then,

you

can

have

internet.

allow

your

Both

you

search

to

EasySearch

secure

results.

small

Taking

Zambia. pages.ebay.co.uk/ebayforcharity/

www.easysearch.org.uk www.everyclick.com

Requesting donations in lieu of gifts One of the simplest but most satisfying ways of raising money to support Cecily’s Fund’s work to educate vulnerable Zambian children is to ask for donations in lieu of gifts when you have a special occasion coming up, such as a wedding or birthday.

Ann did exactly that. “It was so nice waking up on my birthday knowing I wouldn't be facing a huge pile of presents to open, and that someone somewhere else would benefit!" she says, "It was just refreshing, and actually quite liberating, not to feel bombarded with lots of things I don't actually need, much as I may have loved some of them. I can recommend it!”

For more information about donations in lieu of gifts, online fundraising, sponsored challenges or any of the other ways you can become a part of Cecily’s Fund’s work, please visit our newly updated “Get Involved” web pages at www.cecilysfund.org

Forthcoming Events in 2014 There are a number of exciting events coming up in 2014 to raise money for Cecily’s Fund. From classical music performances to the 17th annual Charlbury Beer Festival, there is something for everyone to get involved in. If you are running your own event to benefit Cecily’s Fund, please get in touch - we’d be very happy to hear from you.

For more information about all of these events and to find a regularly updated online version of this list, visit our website at www.cecilysfund.org Saturday 17th May

Rotary Club plant sale - Woolgate Centre, Witney, Oxfordshire

Saturday 7th June, 11.15am

Greenwich architectural walk - beginning at Cutty Sark, £15 donation

25th June - 4th July

Cecily’s Fund Online Celebrity School Reports Campaign

Saturday 28th June

Charlbury Beer Festival - Charlbury Cricket Club, Oxfordshire

Saturday 5th July, 7:30pm

Mozart and Françaix performances - St. Peter’s Church, Petersfield, Hampshire

Saturday 6th September, 1pm

Cecily’s Day - Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, further details to follow

Saturday 20th September, 7:30pm

Purcell performance - St. Peter’s Church, Petersfield, Hampshire

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Please return the form to Cecily’s Fund, Ground Floor, 6 Church Green, Witney OX28 4AW Cecily’s Fund is a UK Registered Charity number 1071660 and a member of the Fundraising Standards Board Scheme: FSO137