Gosport cardmaker raises £7,000 to save Kenyan school from closure

Olivia Cowell, from Gosport, went to Kenya in 2019 to volunteer at Excel School in Nairobi.

Growing attached to the staff and students there, the 23-year-old was devastated when Covid-19 shut the school.

But now, by selling greetings cards online, she has raised £7,000 and the school has since been reopened.

Olivia said: ‘I was out there for a month and a half, and loved every single moment of it.

‘For the most part I was teaching because that’s what I know best, but adored the children and school as a whole.

‘When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, one of the students told me that the school had closed and families were struggling. It was heartbreaking to hear.’

In July last year, Olivia began making greetings cards, selling them on Etsy to raise funds for the school.

Especially with a Christmas rush, her African-themed cards have sold like hot cakes.

‘On some days I was making 300 cards a day,’ she said.

‘They’re all made by hand but I’m so glad it’s taken off like this. People responded to it really well and that has been amazing.

‘After Christmas I had raised £5,000 for the school, which was enough for it to reopen.'

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Her Hope For Excel page on Etsy has since been diversified, with Olivia now selling soap online as well.

Staff at the Nairobi school have heaped praise on her for coming to the school’s rescue.

But Olivia hopes to keep the money coming in for them, as not every child has returned just yet.

‘Doing this is so rewarding,’ she said.

‘This is such a difficult time for everyone so having this source of positivity is so nice.

‘The school has been so grateful – I get letters every day from staff and students – but not every child has gone back to the school yet, some are still working for their parents at home.

‘It’s great to have them back open, but there’s definitely a lot more work to be done.’

To purchase a card, people can go to etsy.com/shop/hopeforexcel

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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