Dig Deep

Okay, you know what's coming...I would like you to give something...not necessarily money...and not necessarily to me. If you've enjoyed reading the blog (or just looking at the photos), if it's inspired you to spread your wings or if you are just feeling downright generous there are certain organisations that I would really like you to consider first. These are organisations run by people I have met during my travels and each, in their own way, is doing something at grass roots level for people who need the help most. I imagine some of you reading this will have international charities to whom you regularly donate money - perhaps (as I did with Oxfam) you will have a monthly standing order to help people in the 3rd world. Now, I am not going to disrespect any organisation (or the people involved with it) that is trying to do something to improve living standards for the poorest people...but I would like you to consider the fact that these are large organisations, with management structures, administration costs and public profiles to maintain. I would also like you to consider the argument that for each pound donated to these charities, only a proportion of that pound reaches the people who really need it. Typically, large international charities will spend between 5-13% of their money on administration - e.g. Oxfam spends 5.5% of its budget on admin. In terms of efficiency on a free market model, I think we can all applaud Oxfam for their efforts to ensure the maximum amount of donated money reaches the people who need it. For an organisation on that scale, it's a remarkably good result (although there are similar-sized charities who do even better...and many who do far, far worse). However, wouldn't you like to know that virtually every penny of your money is definitely going to people whose problems you know about? Wouldn't you like to be able to see tangible results...and perhaps one day, visit the people that you've been able to help? If you'd like to be 'involved' with the organisations that you give money to and if you'd like to make a difference by helping people who have inspired me over the course of my trip then please peruse the rest of this entry very carefully. You should not feel obliged to do something for nothing, mind you...so in return for your support and (hopefully) generous donations, I am prepared to put my poorly designed 17 stone (108 kg) frame through the gruelling torture of:

The Paris Marathon

No, really! I am prepared to drag my Super-Heavyweight frame over 26 arduous miles...all you have to do is put your hand in your pocket...and dig deep.
Now according to the experts (see marathon time calculator), with no training I should be able to complete a marathon in 4 hrs 55 minutes. So - just to spice things up a bit - I'm going to make things really, really tough. I would like people to sponsor me generously (I mean it! Do I look like a marathon runner...have I ever run further than 6 miles before? Not bloody likely! So don't be tight!) for completing the marathon in whatever time. However, if I can complete the marathon in under 3 hours (!!!), I would like you to give me even more money...no set numbers here but when you let me know how much you'd like to sponsor me, please state two amounts and bear in mind the effort and sheer improbability of me completing the marathon in under 3 hours.
You can follow my training progress, find out how to sponsor me and see how much has been raised thus far at my new blog 'The Road to Hell'

And now, all there is left to do is to tell you about the charities I am hoping to raise money for and how to get involved with them in other ways. There are also some details of organisations that I won't be raising money for but with whom you may be able to help in other ways.

People I am raising money for:

1. Get Kids Going!
Okay, so this isn't an organisation that I've been involved in but they are an extremely worthy cause and it is through this charity that I am able to get into the Paris Marathon. I've tried (and failed) to get into the London Marathon this year and the charity places are only open to runners who pledge in excess of 1200 pounds. It's not that I don't think we can raise this much...it's just that I'd rather more money went to the charitable organisations that I care about. Get Kids Going are offering places in the Paris Marathon with no minimum on fund-raising...mainly, I suspect, as competition for places in Paris is much less severe than in London. The first 400 pounds (this is the limit they set for refund of entry fee, although I will be donating this anyway) I raise will go directly to Get Kids Going in appreciation of giving me the running place. I aim to raise at least this much money from a corporate donor anyway, so please rest assured that, effectively, your donations will go straight to the people below. Please feel free to check out the Get Kids Going! website and see some of the fantastic things they are doing for less able children in this country.
Get Kids Going!

2. Samata School, Kathmandu, Nepal
Run by the amazing Uttam Sandjel and providing education for over 1800 kids in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur on a daily basis. Funded purely by donations and supported by a handful of philanthropic Nepali businessmen, this school has literally been built out of nothing by the strength of will and determination of one man. The current exchange rate for the Nepali Rupee is 132 to the pound, meaning your money will go a very long way to help the street kids of Kathmandu to get an education.
To give you some idea: Furniture for one classroom costs 20,000 rupees; Tank & taps for safe drinking water costs 9,000 rupees; a teacher's monthly salary is 3,300 rupees; to put one girl in boarding to escape negative homelife costs 10,000 rupees per year. For details of my experiences at Samata School, please look in the archives for the months of Feb-May 2004. 40% of all funds raised by the marathon will be donated to Samata School. If you or anybody you know would be interested in volunteering to teach at the School, please contact me (see below). Everybody please check out the school website at Samata School

3. Open Arms Infant Home, Blantyre, Malawi
Run by Neville and Rosemarie Bevis, formerly of my secondary school in Harrogate, Open Arms is not an orphanage but a transition home for orphaned children. The original aim was to take in orphaned kids whose extended family were unable to care for them and to give them a safe, healthy, loving environment up to 2 years of age, when they would be returned to their extended family. As time has gone on, the operation has extended to include outreach to the children once they have been returned to their villages and a new project, Harrogate House, which evolved out of a need to carry on caring for the children who found themselves with absolutely no family when they turned 2. The work done by Open Arms in a country devastated by AIDS and with an orphan population of over 10% is absolutely vital. The way in which Neville and Rosemarie and their team carry out their work is both heart-warming and inspiring. To find out more about my experiences at Open Arms, please check the archives for June-August 2005. If you would like to volunteer at Open Arms, expect fierce competition as all voluntary placements were filled up until next October when I last checked. If you're still keen and prepared to wait, please make contact with Open Arms directly through the site. In the meantime, every penny donated will support their important work with these most of vulnerable children. 40% of the funds raised from the marathon will go to Open Arms. Find their website at Open Arms

Birgit Albers of 'Back to School'
Birgit was somebody I met right towards the end of my trip and she impressed me with the pragmatic, matter-of-fact way she has simply given up her life to help others. Birgit flies home to Australia for 3 months per year to earn money as a nurse, with which she funds her personal expenditure in Malawi. For the other nine months, as well as administering the 'Back to School' project and co-ordinating her volunteers, she runs Njobvu Backpackers in Monkey Bay to cover the administration costs of her scheme. Back to School is an organisation that supports the many orphans in the Monkey Bay district to get an education beyond primary school. While there are schools, many children cannot afford the fees (and have no relatives to help them) - they end up leaving school to work or failing exams due to having to work outside schooltime to earn money for tuition and exam fees. Birgit's project works directly with the local community, ensuring that they are investing in their own future and as she's fond of saying 'They don't get something for nothing'. Already she's persuaded them to bake 100,000 bricks themselves, with which they will build the boarding accommodation for senior pupils who are currently forced to travel many miles every day just to get to school. Anybody who wishes to volunteer for Back to School should make contact with Birgit through the website. 20% of the funds raised from the marathon will be donated to 'Back to School'. Please visit the website at Back to School


Other organisations:

1. Students for Kids International Project (SKIP)
Claire Thomas, who I met at Mayoka Village in Malawi is currently the National Co-ordinator for this fantastic organisation that places medical students in voluntary medical placements in Zambia. The organisation aims to have branches at every medical school in the UK and be able to send volunteers to a whole host of needy countries to provide free medicine for children who need it most. I am not asking for money for SKIP but I am asking you to help promote its awareness. If you yourself are (or are going to be) a medical student and would be interested in getting involved, please get in touch with Claire via the site. If you know anybody who is going to be a medical student or who has children going to Med school please, please, please send them the website address and encourage them to get involved. It will look great on any cv, sounds like a lot of fun and will be providing vital help to people who need it. Website: SKIP

2. Co Nhi Vinh Son I Orphanage, Kontum, Vietnam
Those of you with long memories will remember me and my Aussie mate, Russ, visiting this place during our motor-bike ride through the Central Highlands of Vietnam. (Please see November 2004 archive for story and pictures). If you have any second-hand toys for these extremely deprived children, I will be sending out a parcel from the UK after April 9th (the date of the marathon). I am willing to collect from most places so please e-mail me if you have any donations.

If you have any questions at all about any of these organisations, please feel free to contact me. If you don't know me or don't have my phone number, please click on the 'View my complete profile' link at the top of this page on the right-hand side. In my profile, click on the E-mail link to get my address.

Many thanks for taking the time to read all this. I look forward to hearing from you.

Fin

ps. Please pass on this website address to anybody who you think would be interested.