Broaden Out Their Horizons is a small, grassroots charity that works with schools in London and South Africa to bring young people together so that they can share their similarities and learn from their differences.
Over 2014-15 the first exchange project took place between Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in London and Magoba Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape. While the South African students were in London, the charity recorded a version of R. Kelly’s ‘The World’s Greatest’ – a song written originally, of course, as a tribute to Muhammad Ali. The song was intentionally chosen for its resonance with the theme of global equality and with the vision of the charity; that all young people, regardless of circumstance, should have a voice and an opportunity to achieve their goals.
Broaden Out Their Horizon is now preparing for its second major exchange project, this time supported by sponsorship from us at Cheapflights.
The charity is releasing their version of the song in the lead up to the exchange in the Eastern Cape later in July this year. The song is accompanied by a 12 minute short documentary, which tells the story behind the project and includes interviews with the Charity’s founding Directors and its patron Helena Bonham Carter. Helena was instrumental in the recording of the song, successfully recruiting her friend Guy Chambers to produce it and sourcing the recording time at the professional Air Studios.
Want to hear more about the story behind the project, watch the video below:
The students are central to the organisation and activities on each project. They lead a range of fundraising activities in the lead up to the trip and then work with their teachers devising interactive workshops in a variety of subjects which they themselves deliver to the students in their partner school.
This is a founding principle of the charity – that these exchanges should be a learning experience for all involved and empower students from both schools with the potentially life transforming skills that such experiences can give. Experiences that many young people – both in the UK as well as in the developing world – would not otherwise have access to.
If you found this story moving and wish to support Broaden Out Their Horizons with their amazing work, you can donate here.
