The reason I chose Edukid was that it is not difficult to volunteer with them. All of the resources are there and they have ideas for fundraising if you have no clue what you are going to do. I also like how we get to talk to Kate about my progress and it doesn’t feel daunting to ask a question or request a meeting. Overall, I think Edukid is easy-going and well-structured because you know what you have to do each week.
I chose the gender equality SDG because I want women and girls to have equal opportunities as men. My research on this topic has led me to discover the large percentage of girls that have undergone FGM and that have been married off under the age of 18. I think that this is completely unacceptable as it is not fair to strip girls of their childhood.
By performing a few songs at my school’s Christmas Fayre, I was able to raise over £200! Many generous donations were given, as well as lots of support from the audience. The bulk of my donations were made online by friends and family.
What I loved about this experience was that I was able to step out of my comfort zone because I was really nervous and scared to perform in front of my peers. However, they were very supportive and happy about me busking and that made me less scared to perform. A problem that I faced when volunteering was that my school did not allow me to put up my posters and then my parents had to intervene. I overcame this by putting up as many posters as I could on the day of the event.
Edukid has taught me about the challenges that other girls face in other countries and how privileged I am. It makes me feel disheartened to know that girls stop going to school on their period because they don’t have sanitary products. If I were in their situation, I would be extremely angry and sad all at once because I’m missing out on my education just because feminine products aren’t affordable.
In conclusion, volunteering with Edukid has really helped me learn certain life skills, such as marketing and public speaking. I think that volunteering with Edukid can help you become more confident and teaches you how to step out of your comfort zone. The donations that have been given generously will help the Bonga girls project, which helps provide education to young mothers, and distribute sustainable sanitary items to girls.