Self-funded volunteers sought to help children across Africa

By Laura Linham central@midsomnews.co.uk 01749 832336

A Street-based charity is looking for volunteers to help some ofthe poorest children in the world.

Orphfund was founded by a former Crispin School pupil StevenArgent and has already built two orphanages and a training centre inSierra Leone, and has also recently completed a school and orphanagein Kager, a village in the Nyanza province of Kenya.

The charity is unusual in that 100 per cent of the money raisedgoes straight to their causes and projects - the volunteers are allself-funded.

"We are now looking for people to get involved in our nextvolunteer programme, which will take place in late April and Maynext year," said Mr Argent.

"We will be heading back to Sierra Leone to further develop ourtwo children's villages."

The project will see around ten volunteers working for a month tohelp build a secondary school in the village of Kamakwie.

"This will provide free higher education to our orphans and alsoprovide low cost fees to hundreds of the regions poorest kids whocurrently drop out at the end of primary school due to the costs,"he said.

"We will also spend time on our Freetown project developing ournew centre there."

Volunteers need to purchase their own flights and raise a minimumof Pounds 2,000 - all of which will go towards the cost of theschool.

"We are looking for committed volunteers who are passionate abouthelping children living in poverty," said Mr Argent.

"We also are looking for people who understand that help isrequired long after we get back from the project, so if you justwant to put pictures on Facebook, volunteering with us is not foryou. We build the school as a team and make sure its runs long intothe future as a team.

"You'll be living in rural Africa, where life is very differentand very hard, each day you'll be helping to teach, play and carefor the children as well as helping build the school. Its sweaty,fun stuff, and will be an experience you will never forget."

To get involved contact Orpfund by emailing orphfund@gmail.com,providing brief information about yourself and why you want to takepart in the project.

More information about Orphfund can be found online at http://www.orphfund.org.