Helping Children Walk to School Safely

The heat and sun can get to us all at times, but imagine if you were trying to get to school, on foot in Mola – a dry rural area of Zimbabwe. Now imagine that your skin lacks the defences to protect you against the sun and you are constantly at risk of sunstroke and burning. Camfed is pulling together with the community in Mola to help 10 albino children in Mola get the protection they need to walk to school safely each day.

One of these children, Egifa, is in Form 4 and lives with her brother. She and her brother are orphans subsisting on a small bit of land and a few goats. Her brother is studying to be a nurse and cannot afford the proper shoes, hat and sun creams Egifa needs to protect her skin. When Rudo Gore, Camfed’s local representative, met with Egifa she had sores on her skin and her legs were so swollen she could barely walk.

Another child Rudo has met is Takawira. Takawira is eleven years old and his mother is a widow. He is one of two albinos in his family and his mother has requested our help to get him the shoes, hat and sunscreen he needs to protect himself on the walk to school.

Meeting the costs of education is difficult for any poor family in Mola, but the families of Egifa, Takawira and the other 8 albino children have an extra cost to bear. Through Camfed you can help them. For only £22 a month we can offer one child the extra support they need, with hats, shoes and special sun creams so they can make the journey to school safely and show everyone that despite the challenges they face – they too can succeed.