It has been a difficult two years for events and activities but a group of students at Kings College London is determined to change that!
Led by Marie, the students have created the Open Generation who are committed to supporting the work of Open Arms and sharing the impact of their work.
I grew up in a family whose tradition is to give back to society. However, when I turned 15, I really wanted to create this purpose for myself. I had the strong desire to make a real contribution and to change the lives of others.
At this time, I found myself at St.Gilgen International School in Austria, knowing that I wanted to find a charity I could work with throughout my whole lifetime.
My teacher thankfully told me about Open Arms during this time. Since the first time I was in contact with Open Arms, I was inspired by their strong determination, hard work and willingness to improve the lives of children in Malawi. It was clear to me; I wanted to learn more from Open Arms and become part of this wonderful charity.
I wanted to take my passion for the arts and fashion to contribute to Open Arms. I designed hoodies, produced them through sustainable production in Portugal and sold them to students and faculty at St.Gilgen. The hoodies were made of 100% organic cotton and included the school logo, which led to them being recognised as part of our official school uniform. Through this I was able to donate £1,500 worth of profits to Open Arms.
However, I wanted to create a legacy of giving back and share what Open Arms is doing with everyone around me. Therefore, I have set up a student-led Open Arms Team at St. Gilgen to educate those around me and future students for the years to come.
Currently I am studying at King's College London, also here I would like to continue working with Open Arms and share their magic and contributions on a wider scale.
This has inspired me to scout 6 hard working and like-minded individuals: Vassilis, Ijeoma, Elisa, Emily, Jelena and Kally. We call ourselves ‘Open Generation’ and have the goal to create and host an Art Exhibition for Open Arms in the coming fall.
We have set up a ‘business-like’ environment, with different departments that highlight the talents of each team member to drive for positive change. We are currently in the process of founding our first ‘Open Generation for Open Arms’ Society at King's College London.
Our goal is to inspire others and spread Open Arms mission to everyone around us.
Together with my brother, I am also looking forward to running the ‘Big Half’ London Marathon for Open Arms this September and to visit Open Arms in Malawi myself very soon.
Open Arms in many ways has changed my life and I am truly grateful to be in contact with every person behind this wonderful charity. I truly believe that everyone of us can help improve the lives of others.
We’re always looking for Ambassadors to share our stories and raise awareness of the work in Malawi. These volunteers are vital to the services provided in Malawi. They give presentations, share our news and raise money for Open Arms through a variety of events. If you would like to find out more, contact us on hello@openarmsmalawi.org
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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