Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
I am attempting to run a half-marathon in the Sahara desert in the support of the charity Sandblast. Sandblast works to help the 165,000 refugees based in the hostile Sahara desert, who were expelled from their homeland of Western Sahara in 1975. For once, I'm not going to comment on the political situation, only aim to help a group of people acknowledged by the UN, but who are largely aid-dependent and without sovereignty.
Despite their hardship and fight for survival, the Saharawi people have developed social institutions such as schools and hospitals to survive in their intolerably hot (or freezing cold) environment, aiming to become recognised and self-sufficient. Sandblast fosters social projects to help them achieve this.
The charity provides basic support for the refugees permanently living in refugee camps by developing their ability to move away from irregular and insufficient aid donations, deepening their social institutions and providing the tools for valuable education. I plan to support this effort by running a staggering 13 miles under the Saharan sun in February 2010 with my mother and sister to fundraise, whilst living alongside the refugees. Your help to raise the minimum £500 required, plus anything on top, would be greatly appreciated.
So please dig deep and donate now - don't forget to Gift Aid your donation if you are a taxpayer!
