Morecambe fun run to fund African school

The 127 pupils and seven members of staff at Martha's Dream Academy in Ekenobizi, Abia, Nigeria, set up by Morecambe residents Mike and Mercy Statter.

Mercy Statter has opened a school in her native Nigeria and needs £5,000 each year to keep it open.

Her charity ‘Martha’s Dream’ is named after her mother who in her final days told Mercy she feared her dream of opening a free primary school in their village would never be realised.

Mercy, who has lived in Morecambe for 17 years, promised that she and husband Mike would make her mum’s dream come true.

Using mainly their own money, they got Martha’s Dream Academy up and running in the village of Umuzam Ekenobizi in February 2017.

It has given access to education for kids who have either been left orphaned or suffered accusations of witchcraft, poverty or the stigma of albinism.

The area is poor with minimal employment opportunities. Most people are employed ad hoc on farms or earn little money doing petty trade such as selling small bags of water and farm produce. Many of the pupils have been left traumatised from their ordeals and need specialist teaching.

You can help raise money by taking part in the fun run from the Morecambe Bay Hotel on Marine Road Central on Saturday December 16 from 2pm. There will be mince pies and mulberry wine, a Santa’s Bar for stressed mums and dads, tombola, face painting, raffle and family fancy dress fun run from Morecambe lifeboat station to the Venue and Cupid sculpture (opposite Morecambe Golf Club).

Go to www.marthasdream.org for more information.