Chelsea Edwards is an 18 year old with a passion for volunteering in Moshi, Tanzania with our partners African Impact. Chelsea volunteered in Moshi for one month, and now, she has made it her personal mission to raise as much money in support of the charity before she leaves for school at the end of the summer.
“After my time in Tanzania I came home feeling I wanted to give back to a community who had given me so much in terms of my experience and who had been so warm and welcoming to me,” she says.
Chelsea has now raised close to £3,000 with her Virgin Money Giving page. Chelsea advertises her fundraiser on her personal Facebook page along with selling items on other Facebook pages. Her friends and family have rallied behind her in support of her fundraising efforts and she also contacted 50 companies to donate items towards the charity. In addition to all of that, she has come up with alternative fundraising methods to generate more donations.
“Other ways of raising money have included a fitness event called This Time for Africa on the 31st of May, organizing the food for the Rainbow’s End of Summer Party and a party in a local club called Raise the Roof on the 5th of July. I have also taken part in 2 car-boot sales and have been selling items on legal Facebook groups in order to raise funds for the Happy Africa Foundation,” she explains.
The main event Chelsea will participate in will be the British 10km run in London on the 13th of July. She has been training hard to complete this run going from running 1.5km maximum to now being able to run 16km.
“This is the big event that I am doing and people who donate to the page donate because they are expecting me to run these 10km in aid of the Happy Africa Foundation.”
And after all this, if you still didn’t think that Chelsea is doing enough to help the charity, she will also be sending a suitcase full of leftover donated clothes, toys, books, and Nzuri Sana prizes at her own expense.
Chelsea encourages everybody to fundraise but she gives two pieces of advice.
“I would say that if you are going to fundraise you need two main things,” she says. “One: a charity that you feel really passionate about so that even when your motivation wavers you can pick yourself up again! Two: a target or challenge that you can work towards so you know there is a start and an end you feel you need to do lots between those times.”
Chelsea has three days until her main event but you can still donate on her page and support her efforts.