We’ve just kicked off our brand new virtual challenge - Summer Steps for Refugees - but as we step into July, we wanted to look back and share some of the stories and achievements from last month. 

Read on to find out about the resilience of the Nagarpur community as they rallied together to build a temporary learning centre after the area was bulldozed, Harley’s brilliant banana fundraiser and how cluster learners in Kyaka II are thriving at primary school. 

Stanley is a member of his student council at Jessie Younghusband primary school in Chichester, and his Dad Ben works for Children on the Edge. They travelled to Uganda at the end of October to find out exactly how Ugandan Child Rights Clubs have made such a difference and what he could learn to inspire his own Student Council at home in Chichester.
 
Soon after arriving in Jinja, Stanley went along to Loco Child Rights Club meeting, asking questions on behalf of the student council and hearing members explain about how they’ve succeeded in getting children into school, stopping abuse, and cleaning up the community. He also attended a Child Rights Club workshop in Wandago, where the club presented to over 100 children from the local primary school, teaching them all about their rights and responsibilities.
 
Stanley says “The children go home and tell their parents about what they’ve learnt, which changes things, but they also teach other children by running their own workshops and talking to them around the community, which works really well. It seems like children learn from other children, who are slightly older, a bit better sometimes, and they find them easier to talk to as well”.

Stanley also conducted a series of one-on-one interviews with children from both areas about what makes them feel safe in their communities. He described how “The children here have to deal with loads of things that we don’t often have to, and sometimes when they go to adults to talk about making a change, the adults have an angry response to them, but they just keep going!”

Stanley has recently presented his findings at a full school assembly, but the plans are just getting going. He has already fed back to the council and has ideas about litter picks, teaching about child rights, writing to local government about the environment and doing a poster campaign.
 
Paul Neaves, Deputy Headteacher from Jessie Younghusband says “We’re looking forward to the School Council putting into practice what Stanley has learnt in Uganda and leading an assembly about the rights of the child in the new year. They will also be inviting children to come and find the School Council at Surgeries and then putting together small working parties to tackle problems as they arise”.

Other local schools have already expressed an interest in taking Jessie Younghusband’s lead and implementing some of the ideas from Uganda, so the achievements of the Jinja Child Rights Clubs are set to have international influence.
 
Naturally no trip would be complete without a few good games of football, which was one of Stanley’s highlights. He says “I really liked playing with the children, it’s no different to playing with friends at home. They don’t play video games, but apart from that it was the same. I feel like the world sees a lot of people in poorer countries as gloomy and isolated, but they’re not, they’re enjoying life. The main thing I can learn from them is that they believe in what they do, and they don’t let anything get in the way”. 

Head girl Lotte Thomas and Head boy Harry Goodwin took on the responsibility of organising Bryanston School’s annual fundraising weekend 2018 and invited Children on the Edge to be a part of the event. After reading about Children on the Edge in the Times Christmas Appeal, they got in touch.
 
They set a staggering target of raising £10,000 over the weekend, which began with a school assembly on the Friday afternoon. Lotte and Harry presented to their class mates and the rest of the school about the important work Children on the Edge do in supporting vulnerable and forgotten children. With everyone on the same page regarding the cause, the school was ready to start the weekend.
 
Assassins, Bacon Butties, Baklava and a sit-down dinner
 
The fundraising fun began on Friday night with ‘The Assassins Game’ which Harry said, as well as being fun, ensured that everyone got involved in donating. On Sunday morning, parents were invited to join in, but not before all pupils were invited for a special treat of bacon butties. Activities included an international stall selling sweet treats and ornaments from international student’s home countries. The pupils also held a photo exhibition which showcased their talent. Visitors could pay to vote for the photographer they felt deserved the title of ‘Best photographer’.
 
Over 70 parents then came together for a delicious lunch, waited on by volunteer students. Eloise Armstrong (Fundraising Manager at Children on the Edge) introduced parents to the charity and explained where the money raised would go.
 
Eloise said; “It was fantastic to be invited along to the lunch and to be able to say a few words of thanks. The parents were incredibly receptive and interested in the work of Children on the Edge and after the lunch were eager to show their support”.
 
Who let the dogs out?
 
After lunch, many parents made a dash to their cars to collect their dogs who were excitedly waiting to take part of the first Bryanston School Dog show. Costing £10 to enter, categories ranged from ‘Most fabulous fur’ to ‘Dog that looks most like owner’. Big and small pooches took part as the sun shone brightly and the dogs paraded their owners round the school fountain.
 
Harry said how “Having lots of happy, fluffy dogs at school also brought the student body out in full, and it snowballed into a huge community occasion”.

Strutting your stuff
 
One of the biggest challenges the students undertook was organising a themed fashion show which spanned almost 100 years, starting with the roaring 1920s and ending with the latest fashion trends of 2018.

100 donated outfits were sold after the event, which was presented by Head Boy Harry, whose excellent fashion knowledge had the crowd cheering and clapping. Prefect Lucy Ferguson said “Most importantly everyone had lots of fun, with a really vibrant event”.
 
Tea, coffee and scones were then served, accompanied by a beautiful acoustic jazz and followed by two auctions which raised over £3,000.
 
When asked why they chose to fundraise for Children on the Edge, Lotte said; “We thought it particularly significant that Children on the Edge work with groups already formed in areas, in order to get a local insight of the region in question, but also to identify where help is needed most and prioritise this.

​We also wanted to support a charity that was small enough that our funds could make a significant difference, and used as efficiently as possible. After finding out more about the minimal core costs and maximum charitable costs, we knew that Children on the Edge was a brilliant charity to support”
 
Lucy spoke on behalf of all prefects and volunteers involved when she praised the incredible work involved in the weekend, saying “I believe that the sheer hard work of all the prefects, especially our amazing Head Girl and Head Boy, Lotte and Harry, meant that the weekend was organised effectively and we were all able to enjoy it”.
 
Despite a fundraising target of £10,000, it now looks like the weekend will be raising somewhere in the total of £16,000. A major portion of which will be going specifically to our work with displaced Kachin children in the mountain camps of Myanmar.

Eloise said “On behalf of Children on the Edge we are so incredibly grateful to the students, teachers and parents of all those who took part to make the fundraising weekend possible.”

If you think your school could get involved in fundraising for Children on the Edge, just get in touch with Eloise or Abs by e-mailing fundraising@childrenontheedge.org. or calling the office on 01243 538530.