Wings of Hope Achievement Award

It was recently announced that EduNation had won the Wings of Hope Achievement Award (WOHAA), a national award scheme dedicated to helping the Wings of Hope Children’s’ Charity educate children in India and Malawi.

The Wings of Hope is a small yet proactive charity based in north London. It currently supports the only free school in the country, in Jacaranda, Malawi, as well as a project dedicated to supporting impoverished children in Chennai, India, as well as one free school in the same city. EduNation is a team made up of four Year 10 students: Guy Dabby-Joory, Viraj Shah, Armaan Bajaj and Mahin Vekaria, as well as one other pupil from another school.

Since October 2014 they had been fundraising for this charity, putting on a bake sale, a community library talk, a 20-mile walk through London taking in all of the Monopoly sites, and a gala dinner, featuring Navin Kundra and Gabz and prominently covered on mainstream TV. In addition to this, they had launched a song on iTunes, and a website. In total, they raised over £11,000. 

After two years of fundraising, they were called back for the semi-finals at the House of Lords in April, where they gave a presentation to renowned judges, including Sir David Jason of Only Fools and Horses. Finally, at the Awards Ceremony at the Royal College of Surgeons in May, it was announced that they had won the prestigious award, with prizes including a trip to India to see the work that the charity does at its school in Chennai, and work experience at top UK firms.