We are fundraising for SOS Africa alongside the fantastic album, Improvisations, which Christopher Cheng composed and recorded after an inspirational and life changing trip to South Africa last easter. Christopher has dedicated the album to the work we did and to the children who have greatly impacted us. Drawing on themes such as childhood joy, but dispersed with a darker, emotional side which represents the struggles of the African lifestyle, Christopher has created a heart-tugging piece of art. If you are interested in donating to this cause or finding out more about our trip then please read on!

In April this year, six privileged boys from Winchester College went to work in a township in Grabouw in South Africa. We worked with hundreds of poverty-stricken children who have far fewer opportunities amongst all of them put together than any single one of the six of us. Our work comprised of playing music to the children, playing sports with them, and helping out in the classroom.

The boys participating in this event were Rory Bedford, Christopher Cheng, Fedor Misyura, Tom Saer, Jolyon Scriven and Gareth Tainton.

The charity we have been working with is SOS Africa. This charity aims to educate children in South African townships so that they have the opportunity to pull themselves out of the poverty cycle. Many of these children have been affected by HIV AIDs. Our connections with the charity go back a long way: for Rory's tenth birthday he asked for donations instead of presents, and raised a total of 257 pounds for the charity. Francesca, his sister, then beat him and raised 275 for her tenth birthday. SOS Africa has now become one of Winchester College’s six supported charities. So far, the six of us have raised and given 3000 pounds to SOS Africa. We are now aiming to increase this number further by appealing to family and friends’ generosity.

Our trip was emotional and shocking: we saw the side of life we all try to ignore in the west. From gangs and drugs to domestic violence, the children we worked with are in a truly bad place. However, we also saw that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, supplied by charities such as SOS Africa and your generosity. If you wish to read an in depth article about our life changing experiences you can click this link: https://treveller.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/wykehamists-volunteer-in-south-africa/.

Although the impact we make seems small, it is definitely of immense value to each individual child, upon whose face we are all putting a smile. Meeting new people and making friends across cultures has inspired the children of the school. An experience like this could push them to do something amazing with their lives.

If you are interested in donating to SOS Africa, we can confirm that all of the money you give will go to the charity's various educational projects. Donating is easy, just click on the button above!

Thank you so much for helping!