The founders’ challenge

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

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

George, in one of his snazzy shirts. Pictured here with Volunteer Adam.

A few weeks ago we asked you if there were any questions you wanted us to put to George Matantilo, headmaster of Simakakata Community School in Southern Zambia.

You replied with loads of questions about life at the school, how the pupils are doing and the state of haute couture in Simakakata. They were all great, so when we spoke to George last week, we put some of the best questions to him.

What’s your favourite subject to teach?

English, definitely. It’s one of the only classes I have time to teach now.

Which subject is most useful to your students?

In Zambia the [primary school] curriculum is divided into six subjects. Students are examined in English, Mathematics, Science, Developmental Studies, Technology and Tonga. The most important ones are definitely English and Maths.

What do you like to do as a hobby?

I like watching sports, especially football. And spending time with my family.

How has the school impacted the community at Simakakata?

The school has changed Simakakata in so many ways. Let me give you an example: very recently we had a gathering here and gathering in the village which was attended by many people, including the big chief. This was very rare in the olden days. People are learning to work together to decide what they want, and organise how to achieve it.

This started with the small group of people who began the school, but they’ve seen the success and now do much more. They’ve started to come up with self-help clubs, like co-operatives to receive training and assistance from the government to help grow maize. Some of the dairy farmers meet almost daily to work out who has spare storage for milk at their homes.

The people here have learned a lot of things about co-operation. But they’ve also learned the importance of sending their children to school. In a few years, I am sure that all the children in the area will be educated.

What do the children have for lunch at school?

Thanks to the new buildings and the progress we have made here, we are now part of the Ministry of Education food program. So we are given nshima to feed the children at lunchtime. Most families here are very poor, and often cannot feed the children at home. So they are eager to come to school and we get much better attendance the whole year round.

How will teaching change in the next five years?

I don’t think that there will be many changes to the way we teach, but I hope that by 2013 we can take children here up until grade 9. The curriculum will remain stable, though, but there are plans to change the way teachers are trained.

Are all the students enthusiastic?

Yes, two things are motivating them. The first is the food program, but the second is the new classrooms. They are really keen to come to school now.

Where did you get that shirt? I really like the pattern!

(Laughs) I buy my shirts from a small boutique shop in Kalomo. They are very cheap, as I don’t have much to spend!

If you’d like to ask George a question next time we speak to him, please leave it as a comment below.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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 fundraise@learnasone.org.

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

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.