PLEASE HELP AIDS ORPHANS IN SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa there are over a million AIDS orphans whose parents died in the AIDS epidemic (up to 42% are now infected).

I am supporting  Friends of the Children of Southern Africa which works in partnership with a great charity in South Africa: Ingwavuma Orphan Care. See www.orphancare.org.za for further details; they have a hundred staff and volunteers and care for thousands of AIDS orphans.

But they need more help!! So I am doing a big, big challenge:

THE MILLION CHALLENGE!

Between Oct and Christmas I will do a million things: 

- lift 500,000 kilogrammes!   plus

- cycle, row & run 500,000 metres!

- a million in total (almost 50 Tonnes and 50 kilometres per week)

With this tangible target & a charitable aim I am sure I can do it. But only with your support! 

I will post updates on this website tracking my progress (see down below).

YOU DONATION WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE

It costs:

- £15 for an emergency food parcel for destitute children

- £20 to buy guttering, transport to site and fit to a house (to catch rainwater)

- £25 to buy two bags of cement, transport them + water to site and then repair the walls of a derelict house

- £40 for a school uniform & shoes so a child can go to school

- £80 for a safe water storage container (fed from roof rainwater)

- £150 for food garden fencing (to stop goats eating it all)

- £200 for a home-based carer looking after 20 orphans

- £250 per child for a 'paralegal' worker to wade through endless 'red tape' to secure monthly Government grants, which will then provide food, clothing and many other essentials

- £500 for the building materials for a new house

'MILLION CHALLENGE': PROGRESS UPDATE

Jan 19: CHALLENGE COMPLETED.

Many thanks to those of you who supported this.

Dec 23: 548,720kg lifted & 458,260m travelled, totalling 1,006,980 so the overall target has been reached!!

Now I just need to finish off getting the cycling etc up to 500,000m.

Dec 10: Injury!! cannot train. Have to stop for a week.

Nov 24: 347,000kg + 315,000m. Knees are creaking so now I wear neoprene supports during the gym sessions.

Nov 19: HALF WAY POINT REACHED! 310,000kg + 259,500m totalling 569,500 out of the 1,000,000 end target. Just hope my knees don't get over-strained (they are feeling decidedly creaky).

Nov 14: now reached 214,500kg plus 163,900m

Nov 12: big push this morning was a success. but my knees are fed up now! Totals are now 193,300kg (now on target ) + 141,500m (52k behind target)

Nov 10: totals to date: 121,800kg (56,000kg behind target) + 107,700m (70,000m behind target)... lots more work still to do! BUT HUGE THANKS for donations received this is what keeps me going

Nov 6: went on holiday over half term ... now well behind my target level. Need to redouble my efforts!

Oct 23: 49,500kg + 41,600m, doing OK so far

Oct 22: total to date 35,500kg + 31,600m so ahead of target.  Many thanks to Simon Mollica for really useful gym training advice.

Oct 20: Challenge starts today! Feeling tired already. Lifted 6,950kg & ran/rowed 6,800m so missed both targets! Not feeling fit at all!  

PLEASE DONATE NOW

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Friends of the Children of Southern Africa 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. So please sponsor me now!

Helpdesk: if you have any difficulty in donating online ring the Help Desk service on 0845 021 2110, which is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.