Sam Whittingham,14, and Millie Wells,15, both from Ringwood School in Hampshire are  the 2013 Young Ambassadors for the Global Campaign for Education UK.

Sam and Millie won a national competition, the Steve Sinnott Award, to find two dynamic and passionate young people who want to further the cause of Education for All.

Sam and Millie’s year-long role has started with a fact finding mission to India. The Young Ambassadors visited Oxfam India projects in and around the capital city, Delhi, meeting people from slum communities, child campaigners and children missing out on school, and attending classes at a government school.

They will use their experiences to raise awareness of the education issue by talking to the media, meeting with politicians and speaking at events to UK teachers and within parliament.

Keen campaigners

Millie said: “When I heard that we had won the Steve Sinnott Award and would be going to India I was overcome with emotion, I just couldn’t believe it. Words can’t describe how much it means to me. I just can’t wait to start work as a Young Ambassador for the campaign.”

“I just can’t wait to start work as a Young Ambassador for the campaign.”
Millie Wells

Sam added: “The thing that I am most looking forward to is being able to do something constructive to help children across the world and hopefully improve their standard of living and education.”

As Young Ambassadors Sam and Millie will be helping to inspire other young people in the UK to take part in the Send My Friend to School campaign, to learn about this global problem and engage their MPs in taking this issue to parliament and to the Prime Minister.

Nicola Cadbury, Global Campaign for Education UK Co-ordinator and one of the competition judges, said: “The judges all felt that Sam and Millie clearly understood the complex issues and how international change can be achieved, but were also articulate, engaging and really passionate. What came across was how deeply they felt that more must be done. We think they’ll make great Young Ambassadors!”