Leicester teenager takes on sponsored silence as part of 'Give it up for January'
Ibrahim Patel is giving up talking to support Charity Right which provides meals to children around the world
CHARITY CHALLENGE: Ibrahim wants to help children in other countries have a better life
Leicester teenager Ibrahim Patel has set himself the challenge of not talking in January to raise money for charity.
Through Future Stars Tuition Centre, 13-year-old Ibrahim is doing a sponsored silence as part of 'Give it Up for January', to raise funds to help children who have to go to work instead of school to earn money and provide for their families. By his own admission, Ibrahim likes to talk and is doing his challenge for Charity Right - a charity that provides meals to free children from hunger and help them fulfill their potential through education in neglected communities around the world.
Speaking about his challenge, Ibrahim said: "Every morning before going to school I decide what I want to eat for breakfast - will it be toast, cereal, eggs, or do I want to make a smoothie with all the different fruits we have? Then I need to decide what to take for my packed lunch for school, there are so many decisions and choices.
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"If I'm running late my mum and dad will always ask if I've had something to eat, 'have you taken enough food, make sure you have breakfast otherwise you won't be able to concentrate at school'. I take it for granted to have so many choices, to have food in our home, and to have parents who go shopping to make sure I have everything so I can go to school and study.
"Not everyone is as lucky as me, there are children like me all over the world who have to go out to work instead of going to school as they have no food in their homes and need to earn money to provide for their families. Their parents don't ask them if they have eaten as they have nothing to give them, this is their story every day."
Charity Right provides school meals in Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Sudan, and last year provided over 10 million meals to children. The meals give parents and guardians a huge incentive to send their children to school rather than out to work and as a result, these children are more likely to stay healthy, get a life-changing education, and escape the cycle of poverty.
Ibrahim added: "Everybody knows that I love talking and asking lots and lots of questions. I will be doing a sponsored silence to support Charity Right in providing regular meals to students from forgotten and neglected communities because I want to help change a child's story so they can have a future too."
You can donate to Ibrahim's sponsored silence here.
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