11-year-old takes on 100km walk to school challenge

An 11-year-old from rural Bristol is embarking on a week-long walk-to-school challenge which will see her cover nearly 100km in aid of a charity working with primary schools in rural Kenya.

Year 7 pupil Freya Hyslop will be covering the 9km between her home outside Bristol and Kingswood School in Bath before and after school each day this week, accompanied every step of the way by her mother Sarah, a teacher at the school.

Freya was inspired to take on the challenge after finding out about the charity African Promise and learning about the struggles that children in rural Kenya face to attend school.

“I discovered that many children in rural Kenya have to walk over 10km to-and-from school. It also shocked me that when they get there, they often don’t have access to food, water or even a seat to sit on. It helped me to recognise how lucky I am. In solidarity with the many children who don’t have the luxury of choice, I am going to take on the long walk to and from my own school every day, rain or shine, for one week in March.”

Over the last couple of months, Freya has been route planning and training hard for the walk, which will take approximately two hours each way and require her to get up at 5am in order to eat, pack up and leave the house on time to arrive at school by 8am.

With the help of her mum, Freya has already raised over £2,000 for African Promise from family and friends including by baking sweet treats for neighbours but she doesn’t expect her fundraising to stop after the walk.

“I hope to keep raising money for this worthy cause over the spring and summer! African Promise is trying to do something to make sure children in Kenya have access to a safe, happy and comfortable school and I want to help them!”

African Promise supports eight primary schools and more than 3,000 children in the rural community of southeast Kenya.

The charity’s founder and director, Charles Coldman, said of Freya’s fundraising:

“Every step that Freya takes on her journey and every penny she raises will help us make the long walk to school that so many children in this corner of Kenya make each day a worthwhile one. We are inspired by the length that Freya is going to in aid of our charity and our partner schools.” 

You can show your support for Freya’s incredible efforts by making a donation to her fundraising page at justgiving.com/sarah-hyslop or directly to the charity at africanpromise.org.uk