Basketmouth set to headline Path to Possibilities Charity Gala in London This Weekend

To mark its first anniversary, Path to Possibilities (P2P), the education charity supporting children in Nigeria, will be hosting a black tie gala at the prestigious 5 star Grange City Hotel, London. This upscale and glamorous event will showcase some of Africa’s best talents, including top comedian Basketmouth, Singer Waliyah and DJ Sose.

The event will kick off with a red carpet arrival for guests and interviews by TV presenter Samantha Olurankinse, followed by a drinks reception and later, an exquisite three course dinner, auctions and raffles.

• Date: Sunday 26 September 2010
• Venue: Grange City Hotel, 8-14 Coopers Row, London EC3N 2BQ
• Time: 5pm till Midnight
• Tickets from £60 at www.ticketweb.com or 08444 771 000

Lola Bello, founder of Path to Possibilities said: “We are dedicating this gala to our generous donors and volunteers. We’ve received over £12,000 in donations, enabling us to share best practice teaching techniques with 30 teachers who are responsible for over 3,000 children, and to sponsor three bright children through their secondary education. We’ve also hosted five fundraising events – all in our first year. We want to do more.”

According to most recent figures only 33% of the population in Nigeria go on to secondary school, with the government investing less than 1% of the country’s GDP into education. The main hindrance to education attainment is poverty. The cost of secondary school education places an extra burden on parents who simply cannot afford to foot the bill, whilst losing the extra income generated through sending their child to work.

Speared on by her own personal experience, and having benefitted from the generosity of her relatives who educated her, Bello, Senior Policy Advisor to a UK Government body believes that every small contribution can make a difference – and Nigerians have some responsibility in driving the change they all want to see. She says: “Confronted with these stats, I don’t think we can ignore the fact that we are simply not utilising the talent we have, and something has to be done about it.

”We can no longer afford to wait for the government to put things right. In a country where the majority are fighting to claw their way out of poverty, access to secondary education and nurturing our young talent today is fundamental to this and the future development of the country.”

Last year the P2P gala attracted over 200 guests – and some big names, including Kosibah Creations, Designer Bunmi Koko, Comedian Andi Osho and much more. Here’s a short clip with some highlights.

For information on Path to Possibilities, access to auction booklet closer to the gala, please visit www.pathtopossibilities.co.uk
You can also follow us on Twitter @P2PNigeria or join us on Facebook, Path to Possibilities, educate a Nigerian child.