Swim the Thames July 8th

Schools in Sudan

In February I visited schools in displacement camps in displacement camps, Khartoum, Sudan. There I met Mabuk. He was a student at Kimu Basic School in Soba Aradi a displacement camp near Khartoum, the capital of the Sudan. There are millions of people who, like Mabuk, had to leave their homes in the South after 21 years of civil war or more recently because of the genocidal violence in Darfur. Only 20% of children in these camps actually get to go to school. Mabuk is 20 and missed out on his education the first time round because of the war. I asked him how he felt about being older than the other students. He said he felt "ashamed".

The resources in the school are very basic: mud classrooms, black boards, pens and note books. What struck me however when I was there was the most important resource in a classroom is the teacher - a good teacher can teach well with the most simple or resources. Some of the schools I visited rely on teachers who work on a voluntary basis so I saw classes where maybe only 2 lessons out of 5 were actually taught. Teachers are often untrained are crying out for support. Teachers and training however cost money which is where you come in. It costs approximately 5000 pounds to fund a school for a year.

Swimming the Thames for Sudan

On July 8th a small but dedicated group of swimmers will take the plunge and swim a mile of the Thames to raise money for schools in displacement camps in Sudan.

And help people affected by war gain access to the most fundamental human right: a quality education

The swim will be in the non-tidal part of the Thames, beyond Richmond, and the course will be approximately 1 mile. All abilities are welcome and there will be lifeguards along the route. Registration is £10 and all swimmers are asked to raise £200 to support Education Action’s work.
Register your interest today by contacting
marigwilliams@hotmail.com