Hi.
My name's Zac Walsh. I'm an artist currently living and working in Brighton, and if you're reading this, it's because you've heard about my plans to cycle around Cambodia in support of International Childcare Trust.
Since becoming a father to my beautiful baby daughter Suhraya earlier this year, I have become aware of the important work that this small charity does in changing the lives of underprivileged children throughout Asia and Africa, providing shelter, healthcare and education to those who need it most. As I learned more about the valuable projects that International Childcare Trust (ICT) is funding in some of the poorest and hardest to reach parts of the world, I asked myself what I could do to help.
And so, in November, I'm going to fly out to Cambodia and see for myself, first-hand, the conditions in which some of these children live, and the change for the future that is being made by ICT every day.
Cambodia is a beautiful country, with fantastic vistas ranging from the lush Mekong river to the historic ruins of Angkor Wat, but there also lurks a very different picture, hidden away from this famous scenery. As I cycle from village to village, delving deeper into the underbelly of deprivation and struggle that continues beyond the tourist trail, I plan to document my travels in a live blog with a sketches, video and photography, showing the sights that unfold before me, and raising awareness of the harsh realities of everyday life in the face of massive economic and political upheaval. When I return to the UK after 10 days, I'm going to use these photographs to inform an exhibition of new work, and I intend it to be a slap in the face of our privileged, consumerist culture. I believe that it is the job of the artist to immerse one's self in the visceral truth of the world that we all live in, and I want both our art community, and everybody back home, to stand up and take notice of the social and economic realities that I discover.
But to take the first step on my journey and bring this message home, I need your help. Through this Justgiving page, I hope to raise the £3000 I need to fund this trip.
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.
