Support our Cause of the Year for 2013 

This year we are supporting a 15-year-old boy from Hampshire setting off on the challenge of a lifetime to build mud huts as family homes in a village in Africa.

Editing Edge is one of his corporate supporters – and he is looking for a small donation from more companies who would like to become official sponsors named on all his publicity. That could be you!

But why don’t we hand this blog over to James Raftery? He’ll tell you more in his own words. 

Why should you sponsor me?

I know Africa isn’t a very fashionable cause at the moment, and people think the G8 and Millennium Goals are giving all the aid needed, but I am going on a very practical expedition that will make a real difference.

If I can raise just £50 or £100 from corporate sponsors from your Corporate Social Responsibility Budget or your Marketing Budget, I will have taken a huge step towards doing some great work in the village of Mwandi in Zambia – building homes families can move into right away.

I’m taking part in a World Challenge expedition called Across Africa in July and August 2014. Over 5 weeks we will journey from Namibia in the west to Kenya in the east, then climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.

The most important part will be the charity project in Mwandi.

I’m expecting it to be very tough, and raising the £5,000 to go is part of the challenge. I am also going to learn a lot about team building, leadership, life skills, determination and independence.

How you can help me

Please become an official sponsor by sending me a small contribution. Please make a cheque payable to James Raftery or make a bank transfer to: sort code 40-36-16, account 61507648.

Official sponsors

Want to know more? Read on!

Tell us more about building the huts!

This project is vital to local people. I’ve obviously never built a house before, but we will be helped by local handymen. It will be a case of getting down to really hard work in the heat. To build homes that a family can live in will be amazing.

We will start by digging holes for large structural poles then build up the huts under the direction of a supervisor. They take six days from start to finish, more if the mud takes longer to dry. We’ve been told the local children will come to talk and play with us while we work, and we should also have time to play games with them.

Why don’t I get a job to raise money?

I’m already doing odd jobs around my home in East Meon: babysitting, shifting boxes, lawnmowing, digging, attic clearing and whatever people need doing. When I turn 16 in May I hope to get a Saturday job. I’m also planning a sponsored climb of Scafell, England’s highest mountain, a quiz night and a doughnut sale at school.

I am looking for companies willing to make a donation in return for name checks on all my publicity for the expedition – that’s where you come in! 

Publicity? What publicity?

Well, I earned great local press coverage two years ago with a two-day sponsored read in One Tree Books in Petersfield when I was raising money for a children’s library and trek through Montenegro. I’ll be getting more coverage this time!  

Thank you very much.

James Raftery*