Hi everyone, thanks so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As some of you may know in October this year myself and 45 other cyclists will be taking part in Cycle Tanzania 2009 in support of the International Childrens Trust (ICT).

So who are ICT?

The Facts

•28 Million children die from easily cured diseases each year;

•17 million children die from malnutrition and starvation each year;

•1/3 of the world population is malnourished;

•20% of the world has no access to safe water and 40% have no access to sanitation;

•10 million children are involved in the sex industry;

•100 million children are on the streets;

•200 million child labourers; and

•1.4 million children under the age of 15 are living with HIV

ICT believes that all children, regardless of socio-economic background, have the right to enjoy their childhood and to reach their full potential. The work they undertake with local partners, such as the Faraga project in Tanzania, strives to help acheive this goal. 

You can see more information on the charity at

www.ict-uk.org

So what am I doing to support ICT and why?

As we all know there is currently a huge focus on the state of the world economy and I am sure we are all accutely aware of the impact of the global recession on our day to day lives. In a time when redundancies and job cuts are common place it is very easy to loose sight of the bigger picture and those people who are truly in need of our support. The children of Tanzania are not struggling through tough recessionary times, these children are and have been their whole lives, fighting for survival and a way to escape the horrendous impoverishment in which they try to function.

This is why I have decided to use the time now available to me to train for and take part in Cycle Tanzania 2009, in the hope that I can make some small impact on the lives of these kids. Cycle Tanzania is a 10 day trip that will see us cycling on average 60km a day. We begin our journey in Dar-es-Salam, from there we will travel through the Saadani Reserve over dirt roads and up the Uluguru mountains to Morogoro Tanzania. At Morogoro we will spend a day at the Faraja project meeting in person the children we are cycling to support and see first hand the way in which ICT is using your sponsorship to give these children a chance to live again.

Having not sat on a bike for a great many years this is a huge personal challenge for me. I have embarked on a 5 month training programme to get fit for this event and two months in the pain is almost starting to become bearable :-). I am sure you will all agree though my struggle to get fit is nothing compared to the struggle of these children so please, dig deep and support me in this challenge.

This is what your donation could acheive

•£5 will pay for tetanus vaccinations for 20 kids.

•£15 would provide 2street children with healthcare for one month.

•£20 would cover the cost of school uniform andannual school fee for one child per year.

•£50 would provide a child with daily meals.

•£100 would offer care and support to a child worker/orphan and theirfamily for two months.

Donating on this page through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me, ICT gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thanks in advance.

Clare