Three Old Elizabethan medics are among a group of London healthcare students who have teamed up to sponsor a child’s education in Sri Lanka.
Raahul Niranchanan (2010–2017), Vipushan Konesalingam (2010-2016) and Athithyan Vijayathasan (2009-2016) are supporting a string of fundraising activities to raise £3,000 for Ocean Stars Trust – a UK charity working in Sri Lanka.
All three are studying at George’s University of London and are committee members of the St George’s Tamil Society.
“If there was one lesson we learnt from attending School at QE, it was the idea that everyone is capable of making a change,” says Raahul.
The team originally began as 17 people meeting in the living room of a house numbered 17A, hence the team name they adopted, 17A.
Their JustGiving page explains their motivation: “We appreciate that growing up in London…we often take what we have for granted. So, when uni got a bit tough for us and we started complaining, we took a step back: we realised we’ve actually got an opportunity to even get as far as studying a degree.
“But there are kids out there who don’t even know if they would still be in school tomorrow, or who can only dream of having an education.
“We know education is a gift that no one or nothing should take away from you, not even poverty.
“Our aim is to be able to give the opportunity we received so easily to another child. A child who dreams for a better education, a better future and a better life. We hope we can help make those dreams come true.”
The charity they have chosen works closely with orphans and other disadvantaged children in Sri Lanka.
The team got things off to a good start with a successful bake sale at St George’s University, London, which raised £500, followed by a Hot Wing Challenge – a spicy wing-eating contest in which OE courage featured prominently!
For more information, or to donate to Team 17A, go to their JustGiving, Instagram or Facebook page.