<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The Challenge</strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong></strong></span>I will be cycling from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam on a 400km route to Angkor Wat in Cambodia in January 2012.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Cause</span></strong></p> <p>I'm doing this to raise money for <a title="ActionAid" href="http://www.actionaid.org.uk/" target="_blank">ActionAid</a>. <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong></strong></span></strong>ActionAid is a charity devoted to the fight to end world poverty. They work to promote <span style="text-decoration: underline;">sustainable</span> development and erradicate the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">causes</span> of poverty, instead of just alleviating the symptoms. They also do valuable work to defend women's rights, increase corporate accountability, decrease economic injustice and fight the spread of HIV and aids in developing countries.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Why ActionAid?</span></strong></p> <p>I've supported ActionAid since studying development economics at university. I became morbidly fascinated by the workings of our global economic institutions that can lavish a few with such great riches and yet leave so many with virtually nothing. With so much income in the world it seems insane to me that it can't be distributed more evenly. Step back and think about it for a second. Think about how wealthy most UK residents are. Think about everything you and everyone you know takes for granted. We have running water, electricity, heating, transport, food, four walls, everything we could need. Now think about the fact that HALF the world's population live on LESS THAN $2.50 per day! It's insane. More insane facts <a title="Poverty Facts" href="http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Your Donation</span></strong></p> <p>Find out more about all the excellent ways that ActionAid use your donation <a title="actionaid what we do" href="http://www.actionaid.org.uk/index.asp?page_id=100004" target="_blank">here</a>. Please donate anything you can -<em> every penny you can spare counts!</em><strong></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Anything Else?</span></strong></p> <p>You can also be a tremedous help to this effort if you tell other people you know about it. I have some templates of text messages / email messages / status updates that you can send to help get the message out. Please do get in touch if you'd like a copy of the templates.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>About Just Giving</strong></span></p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;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&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p> <p>So please dig deep and donate now.</p>