Bristol Teenager Brings Clean Water to Rural Kenyan Schools
Freya Hyslop, a 13-year-old from rural Bristol, is taking on freezing temperatures and early wake-up calls to make a positive impact on schools in rural Kenya. As a junior ambassador for the charity African Promise, Freya has committed to a month-long challenge of daily cold-water plunges in the garden of her family home.
Despite the challenging conditions, Freya is determined to help provide clean water to schools in need. She has already raised nearly £1,500 from her family, friends, and school community – triple her initial goal of £500. The funds raised will be used by the charity to increase water storage capacity and rainwater harvesting potential in partner schools in Kenya, benefiting over 3,000 children.
Freya’s motivation for this challenge comes from her previous experience of completing a week-long walk-to-school challenge two years ago. She walked 10km to and from school each day, raising over £5,000 for African Promise. Reflecting on this experience, Freya shared, “Without drinking water, I would have found a 20km daily walk almost impossible. This is the reality many children around the world face, and it has inspired my new water-themed challenge.”
In addition to facing the ice-cold and frozen water, Freya has also had to wake up early to complete her plunges before school. Her mother, Sarah, has been joining her, and her father, Matt, will be joining for the second half of the challenge. Matt’s employer has also committed to making a donation to the fundraising efforts if he completes a plunge every day until the end of the month.
Freya’s determination and efforts have earned her widespread support, and she is now aiming to raise £3,000 for the charity. You can show your support for her incredible efforts by making a donation to her fundraising page at justgiving.com/page/sarah-hyslop-africanpromise or directly to the charity at africanpromise.org.uk. Let us join Freya in her mission to bring clean water to schools in rural Kenya.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.