Olivia’s ‘Wonder Foundation’ and a Mother’s Day Campaign

Olivia Darby, W.G.S. Class of 2002, was one of a group of young women who set up the initiative ‘The Wonder Foundation’. Hailing from across the world, and all with experience of volunteering in the U.K. and overseas, they wanted to support local projects with a focus on both education for women and children,​ and one-to-one support, which would allow vulnerable women to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Olivia writes, “WONDER is currently working with a range of educational projects, including schools, vocational training projects, health education and nurse-training in countries including Guatemala, Philippines, Congo, Nigeria and Kenya. Unlike many charities that have an overseas focus, WONDER also works with local partners in Europe and the U.K., as the problem faced by vulnerable women, whether in inner city Manchester or a Nigerian slum are all too often the same: marginalisation, lack of access to resources, low self-esteem and the inter-generational cycle of poverty.”

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Studying Geography A-level at W.G.S. deeply challenged Olivia to think about the complexity of social issues, and the School’s encouragement of volunteering for Sixth Formers is something she remembers fondly.

“This Mother’s Day, WONDER is raising money for mothers and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the world’s poorest country. The ‘Sharing Mother’s Day’ campaign will fund the training of nurses (in a country where there are very few) as well as provide scholarships for girls to go to school. DRC has been ravaged by war, and the internally displaced people that these projects predominantly serve need support if they are going to thrive.

We are really hoping that this campaign will make a difference!”

Mother’s Day is on Sunday 15th March 2015. Text MAMY48 £3 to 70070 to donate.

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More details can be found at the Wonder Foundation’s website, or on their Facebook and Twitter pages.