Horsham students support vulnerable youth in Zimbabwe

A group of Horsham students found themselves sleeping outside to raise funds for vulnerable youth.

Seventeen students at Hospital de Cristo spent three cold nights camping in the open air on school grounds.

They raised funds to build a boarding lodge for vulnerable students at Kafusi High School, Zimbabwe during the challenge from November 13-16.

Adeola, a student who accepted the challenge, said: "Camping out was not easy. This really showed how our pensions are crucial to our lives and how vulnerable they can be sleeping on the outside with time and unexpected events. "

The year 13 students tried to continue with all the rhythms of their academic life, without the comfort of their usual pension.

Lennox, who was selected for the England U18 Rugby Squad, added: "The rugby training is a piece of cake compared to trying to live the life of a tent!"

The school, in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, recently achieved the status of sixth form.

This means that Matabeleland students are interested in enrolling in A-level courses with a few hundred miles.

However, the school has no boarding facilities, so many resort to what Zimbabweans call "bush boarding."

They enroll in school and find a place to sleep where they can, whether with friends or sometimes outdoors in vulnerable places.

Students at Christ Hospital intend to raise £ 20,000 for a women's hostel in Kafusi.

Helena, the student who organized the event, said: "The fact that we have a tent to sleep – no matter how many spiders or leaks or (what it seemed!) Temperatures below zero we suffered – it was still a privilege with so many young people out there without roof over head.

"Feeling that you're not just pitiful, but actually doing something about a problem, no matter how small your target point is, it's incredibly motivating but humiliating."

The Christ Hospital, through its chapel charity fund, has been supporting the community around Kafusi for several years.

In 2011, working with the Zimbabwean poet and musician Albert Nyathi, he helped establish a cooperative community garden called Thuthukani near the school.

The project has turned into a community resource that feeds the community and raises money for it from surplus food sales.

This had a life-changing effect for many of the inhabitants of this area of ​​Matabeleland.

In recent months, the project has expanded to partner with Kafusi High School.

In the case of Thuthukani, the community of Christ Hospital raised funds to help the Kafusi community to help themselves. The same applies to the proposed women's shelter – donations will be made in the form of materials and the community pledged to provide the workforce to complete the project.

All donations received will be processed by the charity fund of the Hospital de Cristo chapel.

So far, 3,361 pounds have been lifted. To donate, see www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chkamping4kafusi

–westsussextoday.co.uk