Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In December 2012 I’ll be travelling to Nepal to volunteer for three months with registered UK children’s charity The Esther Benjamins Trust (EBT). I will be providing direct support to its projects with vulnerable young people and I hope that through this page you can help me fundraise towards this really worthy cause.

EBT’s main focus has been the rescue of Nepali children who have been trafficked or displaced into India, including many who were sold into terrible conditions in Indian circuses and forced to work as performers. Wherever possible these children have been reunited with their families, however often this is not possible and so these children are provided with a home in our refuge near Kathmandu. The refuge provides full-time residential care to the children until such time as they can be reunited with their families, or reintegrated into society as confident educated young adults.

In addition to rescues EBT also focuses on rehabilitation. A vital part of this has been using art to offer self-expression and healing to some of Nepal’s most stigmatised and traumatised children and young people. This has included trafficking survivors and deaf young people, who are cruelly stigmatised in Nepal. The Trust has given deaf school leavers the opportunity to prove what they are capable of by involving them in eye-catching community art projects and through teaching them skills in jewellery and mosaic art that are allowing them to make products for sale in Nepal and abroad. Examples of their work can be found on the website of Namaste UK.

Trafficking survivors also face the same kind of contempt as deaf people and the toughest of challenges as they attempt to reintegrate with society and avoid being trafficked a second time. The Trust has empowered trafficking survivors, taking them beyond the highly therapeutic benefits of art and into employment within the crafts sector. Now deaf school leavers and trafficking survivors work side by side in Trust workshops with the supervision and support of Western art volunteers, and whilst in Nepal I will be using my graphic design and artistic skills to assist and develop these projects, in addition to working with the team in the Kathmandu office on other areas of the Trust’s work.

Sadly, the vital projects of the Trust are currently very precarious because of the recession and a sharp downturn in charity income. Last year was the first in the Trust’s twelve year history that it ran at a deficit. All projects are now under review while an extra effort is being made in fundraising to prevent cutbacks. I have therefore set up this sponsorship page with the goal of raising £300/AU$480 towards helping the projects that I will be supporting. Please help if you can.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Thanks a zillion

Cheers Ali