WHEN NOTHING IS CERTAIN, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!
a quote by Margaret Drabble
It is June 2018 and the walls are going up. What an amazing feeling...
Every since I started planning the building of the school No2 in the Gambia I got excited by all the people that I have met and that wanted to help. Messages of encouragement started pouring in as soon as I announced the launch of the new project. The first donations followed soon. Then more people got in touch with me expressing their desire to be part of this project.
Then everything stood still.
No more calls. No more messages. No further donations.
How was I going to build another school, without the donations that were promised?
When I opened the charity in 2015, I trusted the Universe that It would put me in touch with the people that want to help the less fortunate and people who wish to leave a legacy.
I've trusted the Universe ever since. The Universe keeps sending all these people to me.
Every time someone pulled out of this project, I met someone soon after who wanted to be part of it.
When a new person who promised me a new donation pulled out of the project, the week after I met a new person who wanted to make a donation and be part of this project.
Every time I was screaming with frustration that I couldn't count on all the people who promised their donations, the very next day I would see a new donation in our bank account from people who I've never met and probably I will never meet. A great example are a newly wed couple who got married in Australia and chose my charity instead of the weeding gifts.
I have never given up.
I continued to speak to all the people that I met on a daily basis about my project in Africa. Actually is no longer my project. We are now a team of amazing people who got together to make a difference in the life of the less fortunate.
We are now a community of people building a new community of people.
I am confident that together we can do it.
I decided to add them to the photo album because they are part of this project. Without them, this project would not exist.
WHEN NOTHING IS CERTAIN, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
I met my good friend Aida for a coffee one day and she said: "Elena, I want to help the children to start their education". WOW, that was the most moving coffee break that I have ever had.
Then I met Louise at a Business Networking Event. She is a children entertainer and as soon as I told her about the school she wanted to get involved. I am desperately hopeful that she would be able to join us all in November to open the school and entertain the children. You can see what she does here.
Louise managed to inspire her friend Deborah to take part in this project. Deborah is a stand-up comedian and together they organise quiz nights to raise funds for this project.
Through my business networking events, I met Simon Gregg - a local businessmen in the printing industry. Simon put me in touch with Stephanie. Little did I know at that time that Stephanie was Miss World Jamaica 2017 and that this year she is taking part in the Miss Universe competition. She is a great ambassador for everything I am standing for and she has already started fundraising for this project by organizing her very first charity fashion show in Brighton. She donated half of the proceeds from this event to the school in the Gambia.
Karamo - the building site manager at the school invites the tourists to see Africa at home. This is how he met Kirstie. Kirstie runs her own travel agency called Timmings Travels and she traveled to the Gambia recently to discover the tourist attractions of this country so that she could recommend them to her clients. She fell in love with the country and as soon as she heard about the building of the school project she wanted to be part of it.
Then I met Andra in Las Vegas this year. Andra is a young entrepreneur who makes exquisite fine teas. Her company is called Yandra Tea Companyand you can find more about her here. Through her company she made our first substantial corporate donation.
I am so excited to work with Stephanie and Andra who are two very young people and yet very powerful in influencing, inspiring, and helping others.
And last but not least, my wonderful sister and her husband, who have been behind me from the very beginning. The latest donation is from them, Angela and Cris, pictured together with me bellow.
We continue to receive small donations from people around the world but these people that I mentioned above went beyond my expectations and contributed substantially to this project.
WE ARE STILL SHORT OF £8,000 TO FINISH THE SCHOOL THIS YEAR.
If we don't raise this money by the end of August, we will not be able to make the furniture for the new school year but I hope that we can at least build the school.
BUT, WHEN NOTHING IS CERTAIN, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, RIGHT?!
I am looking forward to cutting the ribbon later this year.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT?
You can contact me directly at elena@elenaedwards.com
OR MAKE A DONATION VIA OUR JUSTGIVING PAGE - JUST CLICK HERE
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Love,
Elena xx
