Leeds Beckett University Headingley Campus and Leeds University collaborate for the African Voices project.

Credit to Gettyimages/iconeer

THIS MONTH will see African post-graduates visit primary schools to educate pupils about the positive image of Africa as part of the African Voices project.

Six students from Leeds Beckett University and the Headingley campus as well as six students from Leeds University have joined forces in this project in the hope to raise more awareness after going to schools.

Will Atkinson, 26, is the Collaborative Outreach Coordinator and leader of the Leeds Beckett side of the project at Headingley Campus and he said the project aims to change young peoples’ stereotypes of Africa based of what you see on charity adverts:

He added: ” It’s meant to be about trying to challenge stereotypes of Africa.

“So lots of people think that Africa is all poor, with no development where kids are starving and the main aspect of this project is that our students will go and challenge those stereotypes.

“That they’re successful people because they are doing a Master’s and it’s about telling a different story about Africa.”

The post-graduates have been having training lessons in the run-up to this month teaching them how to work with children:

This project was originally setup by Richard Borowski, the LUCAS Schools Project coordinator at Leeds University as well as Becky Moore, owner of DesignInspireLive and has been successful for past few years:

Will added: “I think having a University and a community like Headingley is a really wonderful way of furthering cultural understanding.

“But I think often it’s difficult for international students to really become part of the community because they’re usually here for a short period of time.

“They’re not always receptive as home students to volunteering schemes and working within the local community so this is a way for our international students to get to know Leeds, the British education system and enrich their experience of studying in Leeds aswell.

“They’re not just here being students, they’re also here being a part of the community.”