In July, students from Tiverton High School will return to Kenya for their second trip, having previously volunteered at Cherish School in 2017.
Two years ago, the group from Tiverton took a small donation of bras to Kenya, and saw first-hand the profound impact that this had on the female students at Cherish School. For their second trip, staff and students at Tiverton High School have organised a campaign, aptly named No Girls Left Behind, which has seen them collect an incredible 800 bras from their local community.
We asked Anthony Nderitu, a teacher at Tiverton High School and Group Leader of this year’s trip, about the motivations behind their campaign.
What motivated you to organise this donation?
“Our motivation came from a comment made by a female student at Cherish School in 2017. On our last trip, we decided to take a small donation of bras with us, as we knew that the limited availability of good-quality bras was an issue for many of the students at the school. During our trip, we distributed the few we had amongst the female students, and the girls at Cherish were absolutely delighted! One of the older girls gave me a hug, and, with a huge grin on her face, told me, “Thanks to you, I can now go running”.
For us, that was the clincher. Donations of sports equipment and other educational resources are always given with good intentions, and often go a long way towards meeting the needs of the school and its students. However, without something as basic as a bra, many girls are left behind, and lack the confidence to participate in sports.
Our small donation of bras helped solve this problem by giving dignity to the female students. Providing them with something as simple as a bra helped to remove a source of worry, and opened up so many opportunities for them.”
How did you get the message out to your local community about this campaign, and how did you organise the collection?
“With this motivation in mind, the staff and students who are travelling to Kenya this year got together to plan our No Girls Left Behind campaign. We shared the story of our previous trip with all the teachers at our school, as well as the parents of the students, and explained the difference that their donation could make. The parents of the students were fantastic, and went above and beyond to share our message with the wider community in Tiverton. We can’t believe the success of the campaign; thanks to the local community, we will have easily collected 800 bras before we leave for Kenya in July.”
What would you like to say to everyone who has donated?
“We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated to the campaign. Although you might not see it for yourself, your donation will generate a smile, and will help a young woman in Kenya feel that life – and the opportunities it brings – is for everyone, not just for some. Thank you for being part of something that will generate countless smiles and give dignity to countless young women in Kenya.”
Finally, what are you most looking forward to about your trip?
“After months of planning and fundraising, we can’t wait to return to Kenya and continue the work we started at Cherish School. We are so excited to distribute the bras we have collected, and to see the difference that this makes in the lives of the female students. Thank you again to everyone who donated!”