Actor Jimi Mistry, star of hit films The Guru and East is East, has just returned from Rwanda after taking part in the Action Aid charity ‘Unforgettable Moments’ campaign. Jimi got the chance to see how child sponsorship really works and the huge difference it makes to the lives of children in Africa.
Jimi has been sponsoring a child with ActionAid for several years, and jumped at the chance to visit the children of Rwanda, as having a 10 year old daughter himself he wanted to meet children who are growing up without a mum or dad.
Jimi said –
As a dad, I want the best for my daughter, Elin. I kept telling her how excited I was about the visit, but I had no idea what to expect. I was amazed. Rwanda is a beautiful country with warm, humble and dignified people and given the genocide in 1994 what I saw is even more remarkable. ActionAid’s child sponsorship programme is part of what makes people happy because it works, not just for one child but it changes the lives of whole families and communities forever.
Jimi’s visit took him to the Mpanga Primary School which was previously at the top of a 3 mile hike up a mountain, but thanks to ActionAid’s child sponsorship scheme, it has been moved to the bottom. I wouldn’t have fancied that trek every morning. This perilous journey was made the worse by wild hunting dogs littered around the landscape
Now that the school is at the bottom of the mountain, the children and their teachers can enjoy their education without the daily stress of such a monumental challenge just to get to school!
Help Action Aid by Sponsoring a Child
The Action Aid Sponsor a Child programme is a great way to give a needy child a real chance of escaping poverty. As part of a long-term program, your continued support enables Action Aid to use your donations to build sustainable communities in partnership with the people who live there.
You can provide a child with a better future for just 50p a day – giving them a real chance of escaping poverty. You get to see and feel the difference your support makes directly, through the eyes of your sponsored child and their regular letters and photographs.
