Help a community in Africa build their own school

Posts by Steve Heyes

About Steve
Steve is the founder of LearnAsOne. He started the charity so you can see exactly what happens to your money when you support a school in Africa.

The Founders’ Challenge

Posted by Steve Heyes on August 6, 2011

The founders’ challenge

42km walk. Kingston to Tower Bridge. Saturday 13 August.

Please take three minutes to watch Saviour’s story.


Hi. Steve here. The founder of LearnAsOne. On 9 August I will turn 30. Eek!

Most years I go clubbing, eat fudge cake, and receive presents that I don’t really need. This year, I’ve decided to do something different.

When I went to Zambia in 2009 I met a 10-year-old orphan called Saviour. Every day she walked 14km to attend school. Her classroom was a dark, borrowed farmhouse, with no doors and leaky roof. Oh, and the owner wanted his building back. Things had to change.

Thanks to the support of our amazing donors the school now has four new classrooms. But they still need two more to teach all the children, plus six teachers’ houses. Each building costs £6,500.

Saviour still walks to school. She walks 42km (a marathon) every three days. So instead of having a 30th birthday party I’m going to walk 42km to raise funds for her school. I need to ask for your help. Will you:

or

You can also join me in Battersea Park at 5pm and walk the final 14km, the exact distance Saviour walks each day to attend school.

In late 2011 or 2012 I’ll visit Saviour’s school and show you the money raised in action.

Thank you.

Steve xx

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George Matantilo – My dream

Posted by Steve Heyes on July 6, 2011

In January 2011 Adam Oxford visited Simakakata Community School for the second time. He’s been keeping you up to date with progress at the school through a series of blog post. You can read them all here.

On the trip Adam shot hundreds of photos and also recorded an interview with headmaster George. He recently mixed them together to produce an audio slideshow which you can enjoy above.

Adam will be calling George early next week to get his latest diary update (there are no computers or power at the school). He’ll also be asking a minimum of five of your questions, so if there is anything you want to ask George then please leave your question in the comments section below.

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Ian Pearce – Running for Simakakata Community School.

Posted by Steve Heyes on July 5, 2011
Ian Pearce running the Thame 10k

Ian Pearce (in yellow) and his friend Tony running the Thame 10k

I’d like to say a massive thank you to Ian Pearce for raising £240 for Simakakata Community School by running the Thame 10k last Sunday. Ian started training in January for what was his first ever 10k race. Despite a couple of minor knee niggles I hear all went well on the day.

Mighty fine work sir!

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Simakakata update: The fourth classroom is nearly finished

Posted by Steve Heyes on June 22, 2011

In my last blog post I shared the fantastic news that the fourth classroom at Simakakata Community School was nearly finished. I’ve just received a couple of photos from the school, which you can see below.

Your donations paid for the raw materials and the community carried out all the building work themselves. All that remains is for the doors to be hung and the windows fitted. It won’t be long until the kids can move in.

Thank you!

The fourth classroom at Simakakata Community School

Another photo of the fourth classroom at Simakakata Community School

We plan to call Headmaster George in the next couple of weeks to get his latest diary update (there are no computers or electricity at the school). We’d also like to give you the chance to ask George a question. If there is anything you want to ask him then please click here and leave your question in the comments section.

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Would you like to ask Headmaster George a question?

Posted by Steve Heyes on May 20, 2011
Headmaster George

George Matantilo, headmaster at Simakakata Community School

I’ve just heard some great news about the fourth classroom at Simakakata. The roof is now on and the community are applying the finishing touches to the building such as hanging the doors and fitting the windows. I hope to have a couple of photos to share with you very shortly. (edit: click here to see the pictures)

Volunteer Adam is planning to call George, the headmaster, in July to get a full diary update for you. If you haven’t read part one of George’s diary yet you can read it here.

Do you have a question for George?

We’d also like to give you the opportunity to ask George a question. It can be about anything. The school, life in the community, how things have changed, what his future plans are, which football team he supports, how he spends his weekends. Whatever you want to know.

If you have a question please leave it in the comments section below. We’ll ask him at least five, more if he has time, and we’ll post his answers on the blog. If you’d prefer to receive them directly into your inbox please click here to sign up for our new e-newsletter. Thanks!

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A big thank you to the students at Bucks New University!

Posted by Steve Heyes on May 19, 2011
Tom Foy presenting me with a cheque for £1,000.

Tom Foy, the president of Bucks Students' Union, presenting me with a cheque for £1,000.

I’d like to say a massive thank you to Bucks Students’ Union, who have raised a fantastic £1,000 for LearnAsOne this year.

The students have sold cakes, washed cars, done a jail break and will soon be sky diving to raise funds. This is the third year the RAG society have fundraised for LearnAsOne. In total they have now raised £3,808.42. All the money will help to buy raw materials for Simakakata Community School.

I’d like to thank all the staff and students who have contributed, with special mentions going to Alice Dewsnap and Kerry O’Neill for organising all the volunteering activity throughout the year. Loving your work girls!

If your RAG society would like to fundraise for LearnAsOne next year please leave a comment below or email me at [email protected].

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The 40 minute fundraise. 40 ways you can help.

Posted by Steve Heyes on May 3, 2011
Picture of kids in a classroom
What is the 40 minute fundraise?
In Zambia a lesson lasts for 40 minutes. Will you fundraise for 40 minutes to fund new classrooms and teachers’ houses at Simakakata Community School? You can jump, busk, run, bake and much, much more. Learn more >

Here are 40 things you can do to help.

  1. Share your favourite fundraising idea.
  2. Help to design the fundraising materials
  3. Tell one person about the 40 minute fundraise
  4. Join the LearnAsOne fan page on Facebook
  5. Add a post to your favourite forum
  6. Arrange a busking event
  7. Find a race to enter
  8. Share our new homepage
  9. Sell lollies in your local nightclub
  10. Tell a cabbie about the campaign
  11. Sell some cakes
  12. Share the RT love on Twitter
  13. Host a quiz
  14. Share the Simakakata story
  15. Do a sponsored silence
  16. Run a 40 minute fundraise in your community
  17. Put up some posters
  18. Mention Nshima and the 40 minute fundraise during dinner
  19. Host a race night
  20. Run a 40 foot putt challenge
  21. Email your friends and tell them about the 40 minute fundraise
  22. Throw a wet sponge at your teacher or a local celeb
  23. Organise a swimathon
  24. Donate your Facebook status
  25. Organise a curry night
  26. Sell hugs
  27. Put on an aerobics-athon
  28. Run a 5-a-side football tournament
  29. Take part in a slave auction
  30. Tell your Mum and Dad about the 40 minute fundraise
  31. Host a tea party
  32. Do some sponsored Karaoke
  33. Wash cars for charity
  34. Run a treasure hunt
  35. Host a fundraising BBQ
  36. Take on the 40 minute press-up challenge
  37. Get sponsored to do keep-ups
  38. Create something and sell it on eBay
  39. Piggy back a fundraiser onto another event
  40. Organise a name the bear contest

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The 40 minute fundraise. 40 ways you can help. No 40 – Organise a name the bear contest.

Posted by Steve Heyes on April 30, 2011
Picture of kids in a classroom
What is the 40 minute fundraise?
In Zambia a lesson lasts for 40 minutes. Will you fundraise for 40 minutes to fund new classrooms and teachers’ houses at Simakakata Community School? You can jump, busk, run, bake and much, much more. Learn more >
Name that bear.

Name that bear. (Photo credit: florriebassingbourn, Flickr)

A very simple idea for you.

Ask your local pub if they can host a ‘name the bear’ contest for you.

It works works like this:

  • Buy a teddy bear and give them a name.
  • Create a list of 100 names on a sheet of paper with a big ‘Name the bear’ headline at the top.
  • Display them prominently behind the bar.
  • Sell each name for £1.
  • Once all the names have been sold give the bear to the person who guessed the correct name.

Whatever you decide to do with your 40 minutes we hope you have a whole load of fun and raise lots of money for Simakakata Community School. If you have any questions please leave them below.

Thank you!

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The 40 minute fundraise. 40 ways you can help. No 39 – Piggy back onto another event.

Posted by Steve Heyes on April 29, 2011
Picture of kids in a classroom
What is the 40 minute fundraise?
In Zambia a lesson lasts for 40 minutes. Will you fundraise for 40 minutes to fund new classrooms and teachers’ houses at Simakakata Community School? You can jump, busk, run, bake and much, much more. Learn more >
Piggy back (Photo credit: tootedom, Flickr)

Piggy back onto another event.

Do you know anyone who is organising an event soon?

It could be a BBQ, a race night, a dinner, a cricket match. Anything where a lot of people will be gathering.

Ask the organiser if you can piggy back onto their event to raise money for Simakakata Community School.

You could organise a cake sale, host an auction, sell raffle tickets, provide some magical entertainment. Any kind of fundraising activity you can think of that is suitable for the event you’ll be piggy backing onto.

If the organiser asks you why they should let you be part of their event, here a few negotiating points you could use.

  • The charity angle could be an extra selling point for the main event. It may help the organiser sell a few extra tickets.
  • You could providing 40 minutes of entertainment which the event organiser doesn’t need to worry about.
  • And if they ask why LearnAsOne over another charity you can explain that all the attendees will know exactly where the money they give is going.

If you have any questions on how to piggy back onto another event then leave them below.

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The 40 minute fundraise. 40 ways you can help. No 38 – Create something and sell it on eBay.

Posted by Steve Heyes on April 28, 2011
Picture of kids in a classroom
What is the 40 minute fundraise?
In Zambia a lesson lasts for 40 minutes. Will you fundraise for 40 minutes to fund new classrooms and teachers’ houses at Simakakata Community School? You can jump, busk, run, bake and much, much more. Learn more >
Artist painting

Spend 40 minutes creating something. Then sell it on eBay. (Photo credit: Diamond Farah, Flickr)

Have a think about what you could create in 40 minutes.

Get your tools. Get comfortable. Set a 40 minute timer. Then get creating.

It could be a painting, a sculpture, a photograph, or an illustration. Whatever form of art you like.

After 40 minutes stop. Take a picture of what you’ve created. Write a little blurb about LearnAsOne and your piece of art. This page will help you. Then pop it on eBay.

The most important bit

Follow these instructions about how to post the item on eBay so that the proceeds go to LearnAsOne.

If you have any questions please leave a comment below. Happy creating!

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