Hello,

I will be running a half marathon in the Western Sahara in February 2010 to raise money for a small, London based charity called Sandblast. They are an arts and human rights charity working to empower the Saharawis to tell their own story, promote their culture and earn a living through the arts. The majority of the Saharawi people are forgotten refugees living in desolate camps in the harsh Algerian desert. Through the Saharawi Artist Fund Sandblast finances projects in the refugee camps to facilitate cultural and artistic expression and development and promote collaborations between Saharawis and artists worldwide.

If you're wondering why I'm taking part in this particular event for this cause, it's because I am currently studying for a degree in International Studies, a large part of which concerns displacement and refugee issues. I feel it's time to put the books down for a bit and go and learn from the people who are actually living what I am studying. I will be staying with a refugee family for a week in the Algerian Sahara and running the half marathon on just one of those days!

Anything you could donate would be massively appreciated.

To find out more about Sandblast and the history of the refugee problem in the Western Sahara visit:

www.sandblast-arts.org

Thanks for reading,

Pia

 

 

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