What am I doing?

From 25 May – 31 May I will be cycling around Rwanda with a group of 12 people. Rwanda is very hilly! I am not a cyclist and I am definitely not good at cycling up hills. We will be cycling 781km (485miles) over 7 days, climbing a total of 14.8km (48500ft) vertically! This is going to be a massive challenge for me, and I have less than 3 months to train for it.

Why I am doing this? I was forced on leave by my work and wanted to do something useful with my time off. I needed a challenge but wanted it to be worthwhile.

Who are we doing this for?

We will be raising money for Great Lakes Outreach (GLO) (www.greatlakesoutreach.org). GLO’s purpose is to empower and equip strategic leaders and ministries to transform Burundi. The charity was started by Simon Guilleband and his wife Lizzie who moved to Burundi in 1999 when it was considered to be the most dangerous country on earth. They have lived there for 20 years and were both awarded MBEs in recognition of their work.

Burundi has been ravaged by civil war, genocide and coups. It's people are hungry and suffer from severe malnutrition. It has been ranked last in the Global Hunger Index. 1 in 10 children die before the age of 5 from preventable illnesses. The average income is 60p per day.

I will be funding all my cycling gear, travel, accommodation and food. The money that you give will all go to GLO and their projects. 

Here are some of them…

Burundi Bio-Agricultural Communities (BBAC) has been importing pregnant high-yield cross-bred Friesen cows from Tanzania (£650/cow). Burundian cows are so valued in the culture, and yet they aren't cost effective. They only produce about one liter of milk per day, and need a child to take care of them during the day as they wander around eating the neighbours crops, causing inter-communal strife.

The imported cows yield 10-15 liters of milk per day. BBAC's methodology has kicked started the local economy and radically transformed 400 families' lives. Watch this YouTube video to find out more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALqFXDo0i_A

Gitega International Academy (www.gitegainternationalacademy.org)
is the first English speaking boarding school in Burundi. It aims to raise the next generation of leaders for Burundi.

https://vimeo.com/243885645

New Generation street kids project (www.newgenerationburundi.org)
The following are some of the projects that they are currently working on:

1. Road to school:  Assisting street-connected children by providing shelter, food, school equipment and tuition fees in order to enable them to acquire a good education.

2. University Fund: Supports young people who desire to go to university but are unable to afford the fees.

3. Healing Memories for True Reconciliation:  Burundi is a country that has gone through difficult periods of wars since the time of independence. This project mainly assists those who are victims of the war, by helping them forgive and embrace healing for themselves and their communities.

Some more videos of the work GLO has done in Burundi: https://www.greatlakesoutreach.org/our-work/videos/

Thank you so much for your generosity! The money you give will change the lives of people in Burundi.

(A small percentage of your donation is kept by justgiving for their costs. If you would like to ensure ALL of your money goes to GLO, then please contact me.)