SOUTHALL SCHOOLGIRLS RAISE £1500 FOR INDIAN VILLAGERS
(25 July 2006)

Two Southall schoolgirls have raised enough money to provide mother and child heath services to an entire village in West Bengal, India, over the coming year. Adilah Khalifa and Farrah Sheikh raised £1500 for CINI (Children in Need Institute) through fundraising activities at Villiers High School. The girls ran bucket collections, led a school assembly and organised a cake sale.

The cake sale initiative proved so successful that it quickly escalated into a small not-for-profit business. The girls persuaded friends and teachers to donate homemade and shop-bought cakes for sale, to be resold in aid of CINI's work with women and children in India. After successfully breaking their £1000 target, Farrah and Adilah will continue fundraising to secure funds for years 2 and 3 of the Ramnagar project.

Ramnagar village was identified as having high rates of infant mortality and malnutrition by CINI, which works to promote women and children's health in India. Pregnant women and newborns in the village can now benefit from the services of experienced healthcare professionals and resources to combat malnutrition and low birth-weights.

Villiers High School already has a strong tradition of raising awareness of global issues. Headteacher Dai Jones has recently been named Teacher of the Year in the 2006 Teaching Awards. Dai has been praised for encouraging charity work and for helping the school to become part of an international network, and is planning to visit CINI's projects in India later this year.

ABOUT CINI

The Child In Need Institute (CINI) works to break down the cycle of poverty, malnutrition and ill health and to provide basic educational services to some of India's poorest communities. CINI works with disadvantaged women and children in India regardless of their religious or ethnic background. A contribution of only £5 a month is enough to provide vital support to see an expectant mother through pregnancy and the most vulnerable years of her child's life.

If you are interested being part of CINI's 'adopt a mother' scheme visit www.ciniuk.org

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