Ruddington residents Don and Katie Peel have set themselves a challenge with a difference: raising a whopping £50,000 for Education for the Children, a charity that works to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala. It all started in April 2016 when Don, Katie and their daughter Holly visited the ‘School of Hope’, a non-religious free school open to some of Guatemala’s poorest children. The school runs entirely on donations made to the Education for the Children Foundation.
Don and Katie, who live on Musters Road, were struck by how passionate the school is about the children’s wellbeing as well as their education. Says Katie: ‘Each child has their own toothbrush, and the school provides showers and healthy food. Each family is also given a water filter. Here in the UK, we take things like clean water and good food for granted – but these children simply wouldn’t have them without the School of Hope.’
Currently, the school is open to children aged 6 and over. The money that Don are Katie are raising will help the school accept younger children by funding an extra teacher and an early years classroom, complete with desks, chairs and teaching materials.
Raising £50,000 is a pretty tall order, but the couple have already collected over £5,000. Their next move is to take on The Belvoir Challenge – a 15-mile event for runners and walkers around the Vale of Belvoir – on Saturday 25 February. After that, they’re planning a series of follow-up events, including the Parent Trap obstacle run in Tamworth on Sunday 16 April 2017. Don and Katie are paying their own entrance fees to the events, so every penny raised through sponsorship will go straight to the School of Hope.
Emma Vernon of Education for the Children, comments: ‘We can’t thank Don and Katie enough for the fantastic support they’re showing for the School of Hope. The money they raise will give some of Guatemala’s poorest children an education they’d never normally receive, in a safe environment. Through education, we can give them a real chance to earn a decent wage and break free from poverty.’
You can sponsor Don and Katie’s fundraising efforts, and read their family story, at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/katie-peel6. For more information about Education for the Children and the School of Hope, please visit www.eftc.org.uk.