Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page to find out about the cause that I am running for - the Street's Ahead Children's Centre in Rwanda..

"Today there are over 800,000 orphans in Rwanda and over 100,000 children living in child-headed-households."

Many have been forced to live on the streets, having lost their parents, or having been thrown out of the house when their mother, a genocide widow, remarried. Malaria, Diarrhoea and HIV/AIDS are all major killers, with girls particularly at risk of rape and physical abuse. They often have no other way to earn money other than prostitution, and without support, they remain uneducated, unskilled and vulnerable.

I was particularly struck some years ago by the film Hotel Rwanda, the true life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia. This film brought home the tragic reality of the Genocide which  went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world.

WJR's Fantastic Work

In raising funds for WJR's important work out in Eastern Rwanda, I am now running the New York marathon to help some of those children suffering from the effects of that genocide and I would be enormously grateful for your support in this worthwhile cause!

Over the past few years WJR have been assisting children there via three care centres and a network of social workers, aiming to re-integrate children back into their homes, wherever it is feasible. There are currently 88 children in the centres, who receive vital welfare support, medical care, an education and vocational training. The amazing impact that a donation to this project can have is best demonstrated in the stories of those lives it has transformed. One such example is 15-year-old Grace who suffered from physical abuse, exploitation and homelessness before she reached the programme:

After an horrendous time living on the streets, she has progressed wonderfully in one of the homes and is now happy and attending school. In her afternoons, Grace participates in vocational classes on handicrafts and learns French.  Grace now believes she can realise her dream, to become a nurse and buy a house for her grandmother and herself.

I am a passionate supporter of WJR's mission: to  respond to disasters and needs affecting the international community regardless of race, religion or nationality and with their Rwanda based project, we have the opportunity to make a lasting difference in giving children, whose lives have been torn apart, a new hope to achieve their dreams and ambitions!!!

To find out more about WJR's important work in Rwanda please click on the link: http://www.wjr.org.uk/places-we-work/rwanda

How can you help? 

Through running the New York marathon this year on Sunday 1 November, I am looking to raise £10,000 to help support one child centre for one year, including the home, social worker salaries, schooling and vocational training. A breakdown of equivalent costs is as follows:

Donation (£) - Impact

65           -     Support one child for 3 months

250         -     Support one child for one year

1,000      -     Support four children for one year

5,000      -     Provide staff for one girls’ centre for one year

10,000    -    Support one children’s centre for one year

I am hugely grateful for your support however small or large toward this goal and look forward to the important difference that we can make together!

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 WJR who are in turn allocating it to their Rwanda Street's Ahead program. Just Giving will also make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.

I look forward to updating you along my journey in the weeks leading up to the marathon and after conquering the Big Apple too....once I've recovered!

Many thanks for your support!

Simon