I chose Edukid because it was quite straightforward to access. My original volunteering
placement fell through. Edukid interested me because I could find out more about young
people in different countries, who struggle to access education.

• 
  I raised money for the Uganda solar panel project, to help young people get access to light
  in the evenings so they can learn.
  
• I did a sponsored walk between Ely and Cambridge, which was 17 miles. I did it in one day.
• 
  I raised £280 which will make an impact upon these young people’s lives.
• 
  The actual walk was a challenge. Luckily my close friend and his mum met me on the last
  chunk and brought me refreshments to keep me and my mum going.
  Occasionally I couldn’t find what I needed online and asked for help from my mum.
• 
  It’s been interesting to learn about different places around the world, where the geographical
  / political / demographic situations affect lives. It overlapped a little bit into what I’m learning
  about in GCSE Geography and this made real connections to people affected.
• 
  It was the first time I had done a sponsored walk and a walk of that distance. I found it hard –
  especially near the end and I was tired for a couple of days afterwards. What was nice was
  that lots of people I know supported me and Edukid via the JustGiving website.
• 
  It’s a good volunteering option if you have difficulties finding a physical placement nearby. I
  also find it difficult to be with lots of other people and I enjoyed the independent nature of this
  project.
  

We are incredibly excited to officially launch a new partnership project with Rotary International, the Bideford Bridge Rotary Club, and the Rotary Club of Gulu City to create lasting change for the communities we support in Uganda.

Thanks to Rotary funding, we are now beginning a new two-year microfinance project designed to help people build sustainable livelihoods and reduce cycles of poverty.

The project officially began on 1st May, with funding now received and implementation underway.

This initiative will provide small loans to support income-generating activities such as farming, market trading, tailoring, and crafts. Alongside access to microcredit, beneficiaries will also receive structured financial literacy and business skills training to help them establish and grow sustainable businesses with confidence.

Importantly, the need for this project came directly from the community themselves. During regular evaluation work linked to our education programmes, families spoke about the challenges they faced in creating stable livelihoods and the barriers preventing them from accessing opportunities. We recognised a growing need to support families beyond education alone, creating pathways for parents and guardians to become more financially independent and reduce long-term reliance on charitable support.

We also wanted to create opportunities for our students after graduation, as well as for the Bonga girls who complete vocational and skills training programmes. Many young people leave training with valuable skills, but without access to finance they are unable to put those skills into practice or start small businesses of their own. A major challenge many people face is exclusion from traditional forms of credit. Because of vulnerable backgrounds, lack of collateral, or unstable incomes, many individuals are unable to access loans through conventional systems and can become trapped in cycles of poverty or reliant on high-risk informal lending.

This project takes a different approach.

Rather than focusing on profit, the model is designed around empowerment and long-term sustainability. Interest rates are kept low, beneficiaries receive significant training and mentoring to develop strong business plans, and community support networks are built to provide ongoing encouragement and guidance. By integrating microfinance with entrepreneurship and financial literacy training, we hope to give participants the tools they need not only to start businesses, but to sustain and grow them successfully.

The project will also actively tackle gender inequality. Women are often disproportionately excluded from traditional lending systems and are more likely to rely on insecure informal borrowing arrangements. To help address this imbalance, 70% of the project’s beneficiaries will be women.

Over the next two years, the project is expected to directly support 200 people through microfinance loans. However, the wider impact will extend far beyond this number — supporting families, creating employment opportunities, and strengthening local communities as businesses grow and livelihoods improve.

We are hugely grateful to Rotary for partnering with us to create real, lasting impact, and we are excited to see the difference this project will make in the months and years ahead.

It has been a pleasure to volunteer for edukid. I have learned so many things about the lifestyle of countries less fortunate and how 1,000s of people help them. I am proud to say that I am one of them. Helping them just by raising money has made me a better person. I would say that everybody should do it as it is the most amazing thing ever. 

On Sunday, I took on the biggest challenge of my life, and fulfilled a lifelong dream of running the London Marathon.

I’ve spent months training for this moment, fitting in countless lunchtime runs from the office. I feel incredibly lucky to work somewhere that supports me in doing this, allowing me to fit training around everything else life throws at me.

Nothing could have prepared me for what London was like on the day. The sheer volume of people was overwhelming in the best possible way. Thousands of runners from all over the world, each taking on their own personal challenge for causes close to their hearts. It’s a pretty special thing to be part of.

The first half of the race went exactly how I’d hoped. I settled into a fairly comfortable pace and really enjoyed it and particularly loved running over Tower Bridge, which was a definite highlight. The atmosphere there was completely unrivalled and was just how I imagined.

One of the most emotional parts of the day was seeing my two children at miles 15 and 18, cheering me on. Knowing they were there, watching, and seeing me take on something so big meant everything. Hearing them talk since about wanting to run and take on their own challenges has made the whole experience feel even more worthwhile. That, more than anything, will stay with me.

After that, things got tough. Running through Canary Wharf was particularly difficult. I hit the wall pretty hard. The heat started to feel overwhelming, the crowds became harder to navigate, and I lost my pace. Every step took more effort than the last, and I really had to dig deep to keep going.

The support from the crowd carried me through those moments. Complete strangers shouting my name, offering encouragement, lifting me when I needed it most. It genuinely brought me to tears at times but also gave me the push I needed to keep moving forward.

The final stretch was a real test. With around two miles to go, it became a mental battle more than anything else. I kept telling myself I was nearly there, just one foot in front of the other. By the time I reached the Mall, everything felt like a blur. I’d dug so deep that I almost didn’t even realise I’d crossed the finish line.

And then it hit me. I burst into tears and sobbed to the volunteer who handed me my medal. I was completely overwhelmed, exhausted, and proud all at once.

In my role at Edukid, I spend a lot of time supporting our incredible network of remote volunteers who organise fundraising events across the UK (and even globally) to support education programmes in Uganda, Cambodia and Peru. Taking on the marathon myself felt like a small way of standing alongside them and doing my part too.

I’m so proud to have been able to raise an incredible amount money for Edukid while also achieving something that’s meant so much to me personally. I am so grateful for all the incredible support I received from family and friends.

I knew this would be hard, but I didn’t anticipate just how much it would challenge me, both physically and mentally. Immediately afterwards, I said I would never do anything like it again… but I’ve already caught myself back in the office hinting that maybe, just maybe, I’d do another one someday.

Hi, My name is Amalia and I completed DofE bronze with Edukid.

I chose Edukid for my volunteering because i am very passionate about the work that they do to help people all around the world. I raised money for the go bananas project because I thought that it was very inspirational and I wanted to support that. For my fundraising, I did an online clothes sale with donations from people, I raised £100 and i know that money will make a big impact to someones life. Throughout the experience, i did have some challenges such as trying to find something to do for my fundraiser, however, Edukid were so helpful for trying to find something to do as they have lots of ideas on their website and the volunteering pack. My highlights throughout the experience were moments like when i had raised the money and knew that i was going to be helping someone and they would have a better life because of my fundraiser. Throughout my time volunteering with Edukid i have learnt so much about the struggles that people around the world have to deal with, but i have also learnt that there are charities that do so much to help and support these people. If you are considering volunteering with Edukid, I would say that you should do it because its a great experience and you really get to learn a lot about the charity and how they help.

Thank you, Amalia