Children of the LIV Village educational village in KwaZulu-Natal were awed at a car “faster than a South African minibus taxi” when they were visited by an ambassador of the BLOODHOUND Project.

BLOODHOUND Lead Education Ambassador for KwaZulu-Natal, Christopher Maxwell, gives a presentation of the BLOODHOUND project to pupils of LIV Village.

Christopher Maxwell, lead ambassador for Bloodhound’s education programme in KZN visited the school on Thursday 19 June, giving a presentation on the latest attempt to break the World Land Speed Record at Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape in 2015 and 2016.

“I am going to teach you about the fastest car in the world,” Christopher told his audience of about 60 of the village’s 128 pupils, after he was introduced by LIV Village Director, Mark Emerson, and greeted them in their mother tongue, Zulu.

Christopher’s presentation, which included pictures of the 1000mph (1609km/h) car screaming down Hakskeenpan awed and wowed the children, who hung onto every single word he said.

A few tips on paper plane aerodynamics followed, and questions such as ‘What makes a Scientist?’ and ‘Why maths should be practised daily?’ were thrown around the young excited audience.

The BLOODHOUND is a British-led collaborative engineering project that will attempt to break the current WLSR of 1228km/h, and improve it to 1000mph (1609km/h) at Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape in 2015 and 2016.

One of the cornerstones of the project is to inspire and excite learners about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, both in the UK and in South Africa. BLOODHOUND Ambassadors like Christopher have already registered over 450 schools in South Africa through school visits and events.

The LIV Village is situated on the banks of the Hazelmere Dam, near Umdloti in KwaZulu-Natal, The village is a centre that provides homes for over 1000 orphaned and vulnerable children in stable family environments. The children are placed with a foster mother in one of the 150 homes on the 83 acres of ground, and attend either the Early Childhood Development Centre or Primary or Secondary schools.

“Thanks to sponsorship, LIV Village has restored and rescued my life and now they are raising me up to release me as a star,” said 12-year-old Muzi, who lives at LIV Village.

The Village also provides health care, social services and management departments and residents get further training in farming and other skills.

Excited pupils at LIV Village swarm around BLOODHOUND ambassador Christopher Maxwell.

“The LIV Village story is inspiring, a place to change the lives of South African children for the better,” said Christopher.

“Lessons begin daily at 07h40 with English and mathematics for every child in the LIV Village; whilst their minds are fresh and undistracted.”

LIV Village is a partner of one of BLOODHOUND’S South African Sponsors, Emcom Wireless. Emcom provides BLOODHOUND with a state-of-the-art radio system that is critical to the World Land Speed Record attempt.

It was on his way out, after handing out some of the latest BLOODHOUND SSC posters, that Christopher was asked a question he did not expect by eight-year-old Themelani.

“What can I do, to do what you do?”