Help get Danielle to Africa for her life changing challenge and volunteer work

Hi, my name is Danielle Bennett, I am 14 years old.

I’m part of a small group of students from Kapiti College who have been given the amazing opportunity via “World Challenge” to visit Africa next year. Africa is one of many 3rd world countries that need help and I am very passionate about being able to go and make a difference.

On the Challenge expedition we will be visiting Botswana and Zambia. Our expedition which runs over a month is broken into 3 units:

1. Physical Challenge – Where we will be tested with trekking in jungle, desert and mountainous terrain. We will learn and have an appreciation for the harshness of life in Africa.

2. Community Project – This is the part that will be most rewarding for me personally. We travel to a local rural community where we impact the lives of the people by working in the village on a beneficial projects, E.g. working in hospitals, orphanages or building mud homes.

3. Reflection & Rest – At the end of our expedition we have a few days to explore the culture and visit sites. This also gives us time to appreciate all we have achieved.

This expedition is also student lead, which means budgeting, accommodation, transport, agenda and meals/food will all be managed by me and the others going on this life changing trip. This is an experience I will never forget, it will teach me countless lessons I wouldn’t be able to learn in the class room. I will see how life is for people who live in 3rd world countries and realise just how lucky we are to be living in New Zealand.

The only downfall is that this experience comes at a great cost and I only have a year and a half to raise the money. I also have NCEA next year and need to raise the bulk of the money within a year, as I cannot afford to lose focus on study. I am fundraising in many alternative ways, but as it is such a mammoth amount of money and Im still only 14 i am unable to get an afterschool job. I need your help to make this rare opportunity a reality.

Thank you for reading – Danielle.