Old Girl and former Head of School, Sophie Holcroft, left Sherborne Girls last summer, and has since spent a year travelling. Her adventures led her to Kenya where she has recently spent time volunteering in a children’s home and at a school in the Kibagare slum in Nairobi. While there, she took the opportunity to visit the EDCLUB Movement, an initiative she had previously been involved in at Sherborne Girls.
“I feel honoured to have been part of something so positive.”
Sophie Holcroft, Class of 2021
Inspired by a TED talk by Prof. Sugata Mitra, EDCLUB was set up in 2013 by a group of students at Marlborough College to give disadvantaged children in Kenya, access to computers and encourage them to learn using the internet. Mentors from over 20 schools have now joined the scheme, including Sherborne Girls, whose involvement is led by Amanda Mackintosh, Head of Outreach and Community Liaison. Amanda explains that girls first raise funds to go towards the cost of the computers and internet access, before taking part in regular mentoring sessions with the children in Kenya via Skype.
Sophie recalls fondly how the children would remember which computer they were on and sit in the same spot each week. Building a close relationship with a little girl called Lucy, Sophie would prepare informative and interactive maths games for her to do with her siblings each week, for which they would be rewarded with an episode of Tom & Jerry. This was a highlight of theirs and Sophie’s day!
On visiting EDCLUB in person, Sophie describes just how amazing it was to be able to see first-hand the building where the children sit each week, as well as learn about their involvement in the design. She commented, “The building looks like two ship containers on different levels and the outside is decorated with flowers, which have been painted by the children and other volunteers. Due to its popularity, it has expanded to include an upper-level computer room. Whilst I was there, there were children peering through the gates, wanting to get involved! It has been so popular that they don’t have enough room for all the children, so are looking into expanding further.”
Speaking of the children’s willingness and love for learning, Sophie was moved by their enthusiasm to attend the sessions each week after their school day had finished. Humbled by the children’s excitement and pride when getting an answer right, Sophie says, “I loved how the children would want to show off what they had learnt that day and were so excited to do well. It made me reflect on how privileged I am and made me even more grateful for my education and all the opportunities that I have available to me, living in a more developed country. I was so pleased I was able to visit and see in person the impact of our fundraising and mentoring. I feel honoured to have been part of something so positive.”
Mrs Mackintosh adds, “Sherborne Girls joined EDCLUB five years ago, as a student-led initiative, and the mentoring programme has gone from strength to strength. Our girls will be introducing the EDCLUB Movement to another local school very soon, who have a further eight incredible students interested in signing up to the scheme. The mentoring is of benefit to students on both sides of the world. The Kenyan children improve their knowledge of the world and their English language, enabling them to pursue employment that they could not have ever imagined before, while our pupils improve their communication and leadership skills, develop empathy and understanding of different cultures, while also contributing to their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.”
An important part of Sherborne Girls’ ethos is to encourage the pupils to have a social conscience and to leave the school as custodians of the future with a sense of responsibility, and to be ‘an influence for good’. This ethos is lived out by the charitable initiatives that take place each term, led by the Charity Prefects, including EDCLUB. The School is delighted to be shortlisted in the 2022 AMCIS Impact Awards for Partnership / Outreach.
http://www.edclubmovement.org/
