Betul Arik is taking an unconventional approach to turning 16 this month – the Upper Holloway schoolgirl will be jumping out of a plane for Médecins Sans Frontières.
Organised by her father, Ismail, the dive on June 30 will see Betul take to the air the day after her birthday.
“Betul had wanted to do a skydive for many years now,” he told the Gazette, “but hasn’t been able to because she’s underage.
“She told me she wanted to do it for charity. We watched a documentary online about Ebola and saw the work that MSF were doing to help, and that really stuck in her mind. She’s wanted to do the dive for MSF ever since.”
All the money raised will go directly to MSF, whose name translates as “Doctors Without Borders”. Ismail has paid for the jump himself.
MSF will use it to pay for their front-line medical work aiding the victims of armed conflict, epidemics and other disasters.
Ismail thinks charities like MSF are vital in today’s world.
“There’s too much conflict, too much negativity today,” he said.
“The world is going in the wrong direction and we’ve got to try and do something to patch it up.
“While it’s not much, this is our way of doing that.”
To donate to Betul’s cause, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Betul-Arik
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