From Halesowen News

A CAYMAN Islands based Halesowen maths teacher is preparing for a 2,000 mile road trip to Istanbul to help orphan Syrian refugees.

Tedd Todd has been raising funds for the trip and his family in Halesowen have been collecting supplies for the charity mission.

Mr Todd, who is travelling with his 19-year-old daughter, will be teaching young children in the makeshift classrooms which have been erected to cope with the influx of refugees.

He said: “There is a huge problem because all these refugees are not getting any support.

“The charity – Small Projects Istanbul – was set up to try to provide some basic schooling for these children.”

He added: “I had been seeing stories for months about the refugees in Turkey and thought, being a teacher, I might have something to offer.”

After driving a van full of supplies to Turkey, Ted will be using all his teaching skills to improve the lives of the war-affected youngsters.

He said: “I want to help in whatever way we can, teaching, counselling, art activities and anything else.

” As a teacher myself, this project is very close to my heart and will hopefully go some way to helping with the trauma and distress that these refugees have endured.”

Mr Todd’s mother and brother in Halesowen have been collecting educational supplies as well as sheets and bedding for the refugees and he also got the pupils at his school involved in fundraising.

He said: “It is good to make the children aware of what is going on in the world and see that a small island nation can reach out and help a much bigger country on the other side of the world.”

The teacher also produced t-shirts and sold them at markets to raise further funds.

The father and daughter team start their adventure on Wednesday and will be spending three weeks in Turkey helping the refugees. To donate goods email [email protected]

IMAGE: Ted Todd, pictured with Cayman Island students Taejsha Ramoon and Latoiya Webb, packing for his charity road trip

For more on this story go to: http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/11305987.Cayman_Islands_teacher_from_Halesowen_all_set_for_mercy_mission/