Summary In August 2011, I will be embarking on a challenging 6 months of volunteering for a local Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in Mexico to help children who have been affected by poverty and unimaginable circumstances. This project will be facilitated by a fantastic non-profit charity called ICYE. To help these children, I need to raise a total of £3,795. I am running various fundraising events over the next three months via my old school and local organisations but I would also like to appeal to my friends and family for your support! Please make a donation, however small, it really will help! For more details (and being true to form – there is a lot of them!) please see below. Otherwise, please click on the donation button at the bottom of the page J THANK YOU. What this is all about In August 2011, I am embarking on a challenging 6 months of volunteering for a local Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in Mexico to help children who are at social risk. I have been accepted as a member of a fantastic, non-profit charity (Registered Charity number: 1081907) called ICYE, who are an ethical volunteering organisation with over 50 years of experience in international volunteering. ICYE facilitates volunteers to live and work in countries throughout the world in helping to support local NGO’s and aid International development. Where I will be I am likely to be living with a Mexican family who kindly volunteer to host me, in either the Chiapas region (the poorest area of Mexico), Mexico City, or Puebla (Outside Mexico city). What area of work? My particular passion lies in child poverty and the effects of social deprivation, and I will therefore be volunteering for a local NGO whose work will include working with children who are affected by poverty and who may also have been; abandoned, abused, orphaned, or disabled or living/working on the streets. Mexico’s distribution of wealth and the effects on children Mexico is considered by the World Bank (WB) to be a middle-high income country (World Bank, 2008); with a relatively high Gross National Income (GNI) (The world Factbook, CIA). However, Mexico still has high levels of poverty and inequality that directly affect children. Mexico's vast wealth is unevenly distributed among its people where 10 percent of the nation's wealthiest have 42.2 percent of all income and 10 percent of the nation's poorest have 1.3 of the remaining income. This uneven distribution of wealth has left half the population in Mexico living in poverty and one fifth living in extreme poverty. Mexico City alone has 1,900,000 underprivileged and street children. 240,000 of these are abandoned children (Action International Ministries). Children living in these circumstances are all too frequently exposed to abuse, inhumane treatment and even murder. They often resort to petty theft and prostitution for survival. They are extremely vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. An estimated 90% of them are addicted to inhalants such as shoe glue and paint thinner, which cause kidney failure, irreversible brain damage and, in some cases, death (Casa Alianza). The need for support is unquestionable. Anyone interested in child poverty in Mexico, the unicef report below is informative: http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/files/Mexico_ChildPovertyandDisparitiesReport.pdf Mexico and my motivation Usually, when people think of Mexico, they tend to immediately associate the country with one of two very contrasting depictions: A holiday paradise versus a dangerous, crime ridden country caught up in violent drug wars. And yes, like every country which has its ‘beauties and beasts’....it has a bit of both. But...it is also a country which is so more than that......... When you venture away from the coast line of beautiful beaches lined with ‘spring break’ parties and relatively rich foreigners enjoying their holidays, you cannot help but feel captivated by the diversity of the country with all its cultural charm. It is away from these tourist hot spots that I want to go and fully immerse myself in the ‘real’ world of the Mexican people....but I want to do it at the tough end of the scale. Naturally, when you go anywhere, you hope to experience cultural things and see amazing places, and I hope my time away will include elements of this on occasion. However, I am not going for a holiday. I am going there to really push my boundaries, to challenge myself and to give everything I have got to make a real difference to children who live in unimaginable circumstances. By the luck of the draw, I feel so blessed and privileged to have been born into a loving family with financial stability and to circumstances full of opportunities, with access to education, a health service and to prospects of travel. I recognise that across the world, this is the exception as opposed to the rule and (while it has come to sound like a cliché) I subsequently feel passionate about wanting to make a difference to those who have, by that same draw, been born in to disadvantaged, difficult and less fortunate circumstances. I am hoping that my choices in life, career or otherwise, will always be made with this in mind. Certainly now, while I have the opportunity, I want to pursue this intensely by going to help some of Mexico’s most vulnerable children. While I am not under any illusions that you can go and change the world on a 6 month volunteering project, I do hope that with a lot of motivation, dedication, along with some blood, sweat and tears (which I have been told to save up on!) I might be able to make a real difference to a few. If I manage this...the first time of missing Christmas with my family, devoid of my favourite foods, being away from my friends and family, as well as going back to basics; hand washing clothes, cold showers, avoiding scorpions (really!) etc, and being away on my own for the longest I have ever been away....will to me, be worth it. Fundraising In total, I have a fundraising target of £3,795 for the (non-profit) charity ICYE. They will then facilitate my voluntary work and ensure that the local NGO that I will volunteer for in Mexico will not incur any costs and 100% benefit from my contribution. I of course will be working for 6 months for free. As well as covering the basic costs, a proportion of the money I raise will go towards helping a volunteer from Mexico come to the UK and volunteer for a charity in this country. Subsequently, charities all around the world benefit from volunteers via ICYE, while exchanges between countries also promotes intercultural understanding, equal opportunities as well as a vision for tolerance and peace. So whether your motivation for a donation be; child poverty and social deprivation, cultural tolerance, peace and exchange between countries, seeing me step out of my comfort zone and taking on my biggest challenge yet! Or whether it is just to get me out the country for 6 months...! It means a lot. If you see the worth of my endeavours then please donate whatever you can, every penny counts and is so appreciated! Right...What I am doing (I will keep this updated) I am going to be running local events, going in to my old school, baking and selling a LOT of cakes, doing a 24hour silence (yes...really), I am planning to put myself through some sort of painful physical endurance challenge (details to soon follow), I will be writing a lot of letters to various organisations, be doing some general begging ;-), raffles, ...and much more. I will keep this updated as I plan and action! I have wonderful friends and family who are volunteering their skills, services and doing challenges for the cause, and for that I am delighted and grateful! I am open to potential challenges...for representative donations! :-S Thank you SO much for your support Jo x Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. 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!
Raised so far: £4,936.00
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Well done Jo , you will be an amazing asset, good luck xx Donation by Jan Livie on 16/08/11 |
£50.00 + £12.50 Gift Aid |
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Hey Jo! Its an amazing thing you're doing! Only just found out! All the best and see you when you're back!! Xxxxx Donation by Penny Poullais on 13/08/11 |
£40.00 + £10.00 Gift Aid |
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Raised at Barrio North ICYE Fundraiser! Thank you so much to all who came and supported! :-) Donation by Anonymous on 13/08/11 |
£520.00 |
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Donation from sponsored coast to coast cycle ride by your Dad, Mark and little Dave.Lots of love xxx Donation by Louise Kendall on 09/08/11 |
£840.00 |
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Donation by Jamie Chadwick on 09/08/11 |
£300.00 + £75.00 Gift Aid |
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Good luck Jo! I hope this (coupled with the multiple margaritas) helps a little :) X Donation by Chrissie Jones on 29/07/11 |
£30.00 + £7.50 Gift Aid |
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You are doing something very amazing Jo, I hope one day I can do the same. Good luck xx Donation by Joanna Smelt on 20/07/11 |
£25.00 + £6.25 Gift Aid |
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All the best Jo: I know those kids are heading for some serious TLC. Donation by 'Auntie' JAN xxx on 19/07/11 |
£100.00 + £25.00 Gift Aid |
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Good luck, really envious of you Donation by Jerry Haywood on 18/07/11 |
£100.00 + £25.00 Gift Aid |
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So pleased you are over halfway on your fundraising - Good luck and i hope you reach your well deserved total soon xxx Donation by Mo Bullen on 18/07/11 |
£25.00 + £6.25 Gift Aid |
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Best wishes Jo. We really admire what you're doing Donation by Ruth and Steve on 17/07/11 |
£30.00 + £7.50 Gift Aid |
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From your proud uncle Pedro Donation by Peter Horton on 17/07/11 |
£26.00 + £6.50 Gift Aid |
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Good Luck Jo.Have a great adventure.What a wonderful thing to do. Donation by love Jenny,Ian Hannah and James on 13/07/11 |
£25.00 + £6.25 Gift Aid |
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It sucks you can't add Gift Aid if you're a relative! Good luck with the rest of the fundraising Joey, you're a superstar! xx Donation by Lucy & Stef on 09/07/11 |
£50.00 |
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Tuxford School break time raffle! Donation by Jo Kendall on 08/07/11 |
£75.00 + £18.75 Gift Aid |
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Grandad and I, think you are so brave and kind to undertake this venture and are so proud of you and wish you all the luck in the world. Grandma x Donation by Anonymous on 08/07/11 |
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Cake sale at Tuxford School.With delicious cake donations from Christine, Marie,Steph, Victoria, Pat, My grandmas, Mum, Lorraine& Sally! Thank you! x Donation by Anonymous on 08/07/11 |
£130.00 + £32.50 Gift Aid |
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It looks like your fund raising is going well. Your dad did a brilliant job!! Much love Auntie Joy and Uncle Richard xxxx Donation by Barbara Joy Horton on 04/07/11 |
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Jojo what I think you are doing is brilliant, you will bring so much sunshine to all the people in Mexico you will be helping. GOOD LUCK Love Amz Xxx Donation by AMY MITCHELL on 03/07/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Buena suerte Jo! (According to Google that means good luck!) Donation by Adam Hickin on 02/07/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Jo, as ever you are a true inspiration! Best of luck - please let me know if I can do anything else to help. Much love xxxx Donation by Naomi Horton on 02/07/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Good luck. Sharon Donation by Sharon Taylor on 30/06/11 |
£25.00 + £6.25 Gift Aid |
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Hi Jo! Well done on taking on this adventure and mission, I am sure you will make a big difference! :) Donation by Syd on 16/06/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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The fantastic collection efforts made in York by my amazing baby sister Kate and the lovely girls Amy and Fatou! :-) THANK YOU SO MUCH sweethearts! x Donation by Jo Kendall on 15/06/11 |
£305.00 + £76.25 Gift Aid |
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Best of luck, Jo! I'm sure it'll be an amazing experience. Donation by Ian Wayne on 15/06/11 |
£15.00 + £3.75 Gift Aid |
| * Total raised online: | £3,836.00 |
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| Offline donations: | £1,100.00 |
| Mobile donations: | £0.00 |
| Total Raised: | £4,936.00 |
| Gift Aid plus supplement: | £504.00 |
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