Since the BBC2 'Toughest Place to be....' documentary we've been inundated with messages of support and offers of help for the local community, Mania, where Andy Giles lived and worked in Sierra Leone.
The programme showed Andy getting to grips with a fisherman's life in Sierra Leone where he worked from a dugout canoe with Kabba and Ishmael Kaine.
Keen to support Mania and surrounding villages, we have set up a fundraising page to help direct the overwhelming support and goodwill to where is it needed most.
There are two charities working in the area that we wanted to highlight:
EJF works with fishing communities in the Sherbro River area of Sierra Leone to document and stop pirate fishing by foreign industrial vessels, a problem that Andy witnessed himself whilst in Mania.
Christian Aid funds a project in the area surrounding Mania that invests in new, better fishing equipment for those that need it most and other projects to help the families in these fishing communities. This includes new, safer boats, nets and fishing gear that allow communities to earn a better and more stable living from fishing. And to support their communities wth other projects.
Both of these charities we feel are so important to support the people of Mania that welcomed Andy into their community but also like the idea of giving you a choice as to where your funds are better placed.
Andy Will never forget the experience that he had or his new found friends, in fact he plans to go back to see the changes that have been made with the help of everyone's generous donations.
Remember: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 28%) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too. That means more money goes to the charity, faster, with JustGiving.
So please dig deep and donate now. Much Love.
