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Hola amigos!   So as I normally do a fund raising event every year, this year its for a very different cause...... I have signed myself up to tackle a GVI fundraising challenge in the shape of a brand new 6 day kayak along Rio Dulce. I will be in the second batch of GVI volunteers and staff, setting off on 17th July 2011 from the Castillo San Felipe on the largest lake in Guatemala, Lago Isabal, to kayak almost 50 km to reach the Atlantic Ocean at Livingston. Rio Dulce begins where it flows out of Lago Isabal, and we will follow the river until we arrive at a long narrow lake called, El Golfete, which is about 16 km long. Going further down river for 10 km, we will meander along until we reach a spectacular steep walled canyon. The sides of the gorge rise up to almost 100 metres on either side, and are lined with jungle vegetation and wildlife. Then onwards for the end of the challenge....to reach Las Sietes Altares which is a series of waterfalls, where the first Tarzan films were made in the 1930's!   That doesn't sound like much of a challenge, I hear you cry!   Well....we will be kayaking for 6 days, camping along the river, getting stuck into smaller challenges along the way (like scaling the sides of the gorge, and battling with 3 to 4 foot swells in El Golfete) and doing this challenge at the height of rainy season!!!   <<<<<<<<<<<<<< UPDATE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We have been informed that the challenge is now going to be 70 km and we will be doing 4 days of SOLID kayaking. Day 1: caving in and around Lake Isabal. Day 2: the start of the 6-7 hours worth of kayaking starting halfway down Lake Isabal. Day 3: 6-7 hours of kayaking Day 4: 6-7 hours of kayaking Day 5: 6-7 hours of kayaking Day 6: 2+ hours of kayaking along the coast at Livingston, then a hike up to "Siete Altares" where we are expected to reach our finish line in appropriate "Tarzan-esque" attire!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   So why have I signed up for this? This challenge was created to raise funds and awareness for the GVI Phoenix projects in Guatemala. The Phoenix projects started in Guatemala in 2003 in San Andrés Itzapa for indigenous children who did not have the opportunity to go to national school. This project was swiftly followed by the opening of another school in Santa Maria de Jesus. There are over 500 children between the ages of 5-15 who benefit from these 2 partnerships, but there are now 13 GVI Phoenix schools in total across Central and South America. They are totally reliant on volunteer contributions, charitable donations and fundraising challenges like this to keep on running.   Where will the money go? Without these fundraising efforts it would not have been possible to construct the brand new school for the GVI Phoenix project in Santa Maria. I have had the pleasure to attend the inauguration and be one of the first to teach in it. It was amazing to see the kid's faces the first day we opened the doors to 6 classes of extremely deserving and enthusiastic children.   Furthermore, without the Phoenix projects these indigenous children would simply not receive an education. By donating just a small amount, the project will receive funding for school supplies, food and fruit for the children, food packages for the elderly, tree-planting and fertiliser schemes, an emergency fund, and most importantly to allow the school to have teachers who can provide official certificates for the children, which goes a long way to achieving our sustainable goals. These children are the future.   £10 buys the necessary educational utensils for one child per year £50 buys fruit for 30 children for one month £200 pays for the salary of one local teacher per month   The funds from this challenge will be spread across the board, but will have three main focuses: 1) To provide scholarships to children for entry into the national school system, who would otherwise not get the chance of an education; 2) To extend “Plan Ancianos” providing food to the older members of society; 3) To create an emergency fund so that should something like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Agatha_%282010%29" target="_blank">Tropical Storm Agatha</a>, which hit last year, happen again, there will be funds in place to provide emergency assistance immediately.   For more info have a look at the Phoenix blog: <a href="http://gviphoenix.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://gviphoenix.blogspot.com/</a>   So please show your support for this worthy cause, a little money really does go a long way out here so please donate what you can.... I know times are hard at the moment but if you donate the money you'd spend on a pint down the pub, a cake at lunch, or morning coffee, think of the joy you're giving the kids!! I'll keep you all posted on my blog with my training regime and general updates at <a href="http://the-adventures-of-miss-elaine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://the-adventures-of-miss-elaine.blogspot.com/</a>, and of course keep uploading pics of the kids who you'll be helping out!   Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. 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.

GVI Phoenix kayak challenge

GVI Phoenix kayak challenge

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