A HEADTEACHER at a Farnham private school spent almost two weeks sleeping rough in a bid to raise money for a school in Malawi.

Andrew Fisher, the headteacher at Frensham Heights School, spent 10 nights, a few “bleak”, sleeping rough in the woods to raise funds for the Malawi school the Heights partner.

Spending his last night in the woods on February 13, the 53 year old raised over £12,000 as he cooked by campfire, washed in buckets and slept in a tent throughout sub-zero temperatures.

While not letting his duties as headteacher slip throughout, Mr Fisher was hoping to ‘reflect on the normal day to day hardship of life in a very poor developing country.’

The Frensham school has been in partnership with schools and orphanages within the African country for over eight years, with Mr Fisher’s latest fundraising attempts looking to help those at Vikwa school in the area of Mtumthana.

The new journey with Vikwa started after Mr Fisher spoke with Michael Masudi, the headteacher of All Saints School in Mtumthana.

Mr Fisher told The Herald: “We have been in partnership with All Saints for eight years now, and we have taken four trips with over 100 pupils and over 20 staff coming out with us.”

One thing the private school is keen to do is give money directly to the causes it backs, rather than donate to foreign aid, and as a result the pupils see the positive impact first hand, as well as “allowing us to use it as a teaching tool as we can show students what the money does and where it goes.”

He added: “Rather than just taking out money, we are keen to train staff and bring good will with us, as well as stationery and equipment.

“One of the effects our work has had is in science and maths. In science, our technicians decided to make equipment out of plastic after realising it was less likely to break if dropped on concrete.

“As a result of the three lots of equipment we have brought out, the school has now made the National Finals of a science competition.”

Vikwa School has a 75 per cent drop out rate at Year 6 and Frensham Heights is keen to do its part to put a halt on the alarming figures.

“Despite being built, the school is very basic inside so the money will go towards buying desks, doors, stationery and finishing the teachers’ house on site, which allows for staff to stay at the school.

“We are hoping to have it all delivered before our trip in July, where 24 students, three staff and myself will head out for 26 days.

“And we are by no means turning the tap off with All Saints. As with most governments in Africa, schools are sent just one copy of an exam paper and the school is then expected to copy that 500 times for exams. So we will be helping out with printer and copier ink and stationery for that.”

Mr Fisher also highlighted the positive impact the work has had on his own school. “With the school ranging from reception through to A-level, I have had the chance to hold assemblies with most age groups.

“I showed pupils in year 4, 5 and 6 the difference for their ages, specifically girls and the struggles girls in Malawi face at the ages of 11 or 12 where they have to drop out of school because they are married or being forced to work.

“The work we have done has given students the chance to reflect on their fortune”.

To donate to the headteacher’s fundraising efforts visit the website www.frenshamheights.net/malawi.