I decided a few weeks ago to attempt the half marathon for the first time and have been training as hard as I can in preparation. Obviously this is a big challenge on a personal level but this week I heard about the work of Translators without Borders and decided to try and raise funds for the crucial work that they do.

Translators without Borders provide　support to extremely vulnerable people affected by humanitarian crisis by providing them with quick access to vital knowledge in their own language. In crisis situations it is crucial that aid workers can communicate quickly with people in their own language.

During the catastrophic Haiti earthquake of 2010 their support was vital in quickly translating SMS　messages from those trapped under rubble so that aid workers could locate people and many lives were saved because of their work. The same was true in the aftermath of the Nepalese earthquake in 2015.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 is another example of the work of Translators without borders. There are in excess of 90 languages spoken in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, the 3 countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak. Funnily enough Google translate is not an option for the majority of these community languages but it was crucial in trying to contain the spread of the disease that health information was provided quickly to the affected populations.

In West Africa Translators without Borders were quickly able to create health advice posters for distribution　 in villages throughout the Ebola outbreak area as well as "triage" information sheets for use by medical professionals and aid workers to allow the local populations to properly describe their symptoms and situation in their own language.

Whatever you feel able to donate towards this fantastic cause would be much appreciated and hopefully I do not need emergency treatment myself at the end of the half marathon!! Thanks for reading.

David

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.