4 days to go!!!

With only 4 days until I leave, I'm doing all of my final preparations: buying sun cream, insect repellent, reading up on the malaria medication and finding a hat!

I have a had a phenomenal amount of support the past few months to raise the money I needed in order to get to the DRC and everyone has been absolutely amazing. There is still time to make a donation and I am grateful to everyone who has already donated.

As soon as I leave on Sunday, all of the posts on this blog will be to update you on what we are doing over in the DRC and to let family and friends know that I am ultimately ok.

I hope that this donation blog turned travel blog will give an interesting insight into the work of Menelik Education and what volunteers get up to. And please remember that Menelik travel every year and you can always apply to travel out for next summer!

Thankyou again. Jess x

Raffle Winners!

I'd like to say a huge thankyou to everyone who bought a ticket from me or Niamh over the past couple of weeks! The raffle was organised and advertised at very short notice but even so we raised around £100 to go towards Menelik Education's educational supplies that we will use while we are out there.

The winners were:

Andy Gough - 'University of Birmingham' Monopoly board

Sion Elis - £20

Laura Howard - Molton Brown cosmetics

Aliya Akram - 19 Gales Farm shop Victoria Sponge cake

David (House of Fraser) - 2x 19 Gales Farm shop luxury vanilla cupcakes

Alex Prinelle - 2x 19 Gales Farm shop luxury carrot cupcakes

Helen (Laura Ashley) - House of Fraser bracelet

The 'University of Birmingham' t-shirts went to:

Naomi Falgate

Josie Pearl

Barry (House of Fraser)

Louette (House of Fraser)

Liz Salt

Thea Cope

And the booby prize (a pack of University of Birmingham cards) went to Noddy Walton.

I would like to sincerely thank the companies and people who donated prizes to us:

University of Birmingham

House of Fraser

19 Gales Farm shop

Zest

We had a fabulous raffle only thanks to the prizes that we were able to offer and the money we have raised will go to a fantastic cause and really make difference in the lessons we will be able to offer.

Thankyou so much everyone.