A CedarBridge Academy graduate has accomplished her vision of raising funds to support a rural school in Africa that had difficulties sourcing potable water

Diamond DeShield, a past president of Hamilton Rotary’s Interact Club, was also presented with a Medal of Valour by the organisation after she spearheaded a team that raised $6,247 for the project.

She attended a United Nations conference that shed light on the plight of girls around the world.

The Hamilton Rotary Club said that Ms DeShield then had a vision to offer support by raising funds for a rural school in the Bubi district of Zimbabwe, where girls were expected to walk great distances to collect water for the school and villagers.

The girls often had to miss classes when they were assigned duties of walking to the village to collect water for school use as there was no running water.

Ms DeShield worked day and night on her project and formed a committee where she sought the wisdom of Nalton Brangman, who had access to the expertise of engineers.

Mr Brangman said his brother was involved in a missionary project near the school and provided information about the state of wells in the area.

He added that many wells did not have pipes sleeved and in some cases had collapsed.

Ms DeShield and her Interact youth club members worked with a team — including her mother, April — to raise funds to support the school and villagers.

They held bake sales, approached Rotarians and private donors of offshore companies, other Rotary clubs and friends.

The group also donated personal funds for the project.

Ms DeShield returned to Bermuda to spend Rotary World Water Day on March 22 with Taka Mubako, her international adviser, and Cathy Bassett, the president of Hamilton Rotary Club.

A cheque for the funds raised will be presented to the Bulawayo Rotary Club in Zimbabwe.

The Bulawayo Club will match the funds from private donors and complete the project by creating a functional well to supply water for the school and village.