10:25am Friday 30th July 2010
By Manisha Mistry
A 25-year-old's bid to raise £2,000 for a charity close to her heart draws to an end tomorrow.
With the total standing at just over £1,700 Connie Smith has vowed to shave her hair off if she fails to meet the target.
However Connie, of Flora Grove, St Albans, is hoping her last-ditch attempts to gather generous donations for Harpenden Spotlight on Africa prove successful.
Born in Sudan and growing up in Uganda during her early teens, Connie, whose mother still lives in the African village, knows first hand the plight many poverty-stricken residents face.
She told the Review: “Growing up in Uganda I saw the struggles Ugandans have to cope with and after hearing about the charity it really struck a chord with me.
“I am hoping to be able to raise enough money to support the three projects the charity is working towards.”
Harpenden Spotlight on Africa has already raised enough cash for a new school in a slum near Mbale, Uganda, which has enabled them to pay for the teachers and other staff salaries and also the administrative costs of the school including food and educational materials.
Its latest projects include continuing to fund the Musuto Christian School in south east Uganda, providing clean water through two boreholes and a business plan has been completed to begin a village community health project.
Connie added: “Harpenden Spotlight on Africa is about making people aware of what's happening in Africa.
“People get on with their lives without realising what goes on like the genocide and how homophobia is being fuelled through politics.
“Having such a close link to Africa I find it hard to turn a blind eye and that's why I wanted to get involved with the charity.”
The 25-year-old has until the end of tomorrow to hit her £2,000 target. To support Connie visit her fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/Connie-Smith85
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