Luke, Sam and I have just completed a 826km cycle over 7 days in aid of GLO’s lifesaving work in Burundi. The ride crossing Rwanda took us over 15,000m of climbing! 

Multi-day riding is hard. I'm a runner, Sam's just had knee surgery and Luke is a rugby player turned dancer... we put in the training miles as best we could around full work weeks, and it paid off! There was chaffage, there were LITRES of water sweated, dodgy stomachs, cold showers and mozzis...but we made it as a team of 12 with an ex pro Team Rwanda rider with us the whole way (Rafiki Umiwana) and are so excited to be raising money for such a worthwhile cause. We saw and heard first hand of the stories of struggle in Burundi whilst in Rwanda their brother nation. It was heart breakbreaking to learn of the level of poverty and strife that they are living through. 

GLO is an incredible charity pioneering the transformation of Burundi, one of the world's poorest, hungriest and unhappiest nations recovering from years of civil war and genocide. 

Burundi is currently in crisis and so we would LOVE your support to raise funds for GLO. Everyday they are pioneering peacebuilding, education, social enterprise and community outreach initiatives through equipping and building up outstanding local leaders. We will be raising money for 3 key programs (more info below): 

The BRUTAL itinerary:
Saturday 27th, Day 1 - Kigali - Musanze - 102km 64 miles 6200 feet climbing



Sunday 28th, Day 2 - Musanze - Gisenyi - 64km  40 miles 2400 feet climbing




Monday 29th, Day 3 - Gisenyi to Gitarama - 144km 90 miles 9300 feet climbing




Tuesday 30th, Day 4 - Gitarama to Kibuye - 80km  50 miles 4600 feet climbing

Wednesday 31st, Day 5 - Kibuye to Cyangugu - 118km  74 miles 8500 feet climbing

Thursday 1st, Day 6 - Cyangugu to Butare - 145km 91 miles 11,000 feet climbing  (toughest day rain forest)

Friday 2nd, Day 7 - Butare to Kigali - 128km 80 miles 6500 feet climbing

Your donations will massively motivate our training so THANK YOU!

Info on GLO: http://www.greatlakesoutreach.org/

Some further information on the programs that we're raising for:

Burundi Bio-Agricultural Communities (BBAC) imports pregnant high-yield cross-bred Friesen cows from Tanzania. The major benefit of the imported cows is that they produce around 10 times as much as Burundian cows and BBAC encourage communities to keep them in one area to minimise damage to neighbours’ crops and avoid the need for children to tend them. This methodology has radically transformed 400 families' lives, helped kick-start the local economy, and the children who had been looking after the cows could now go to school financed by the milk sales.

Gitega International Academy is the first English-speaking boarding school in the country. It is raising the next generation of shapers and shakers for Burundi. Many of the country's leaders attend, and they receive an education emphasising leadership, character, and integrity. See www.gitegainternationalacademy.org for more info.

New Generation a street kids project. NGB runs a Road to School program helping street children catch up on the years of schooling many have missed. It provides accommodation for 35 street children and has recently built a new Kids Centre where the children eat their meals, do their homework, and relax. A big project for 2017 will be expanding New Generation’s streetwork. The team of streetworkers has been increased from 1 to 3, and the aim is to help the hundreds of children living on the streets of Bujumbura who NGB cannot afford to feed and accommodate in their Road to School program.

Please note: If we raise sufficient funds for the projects mentioned above, any remaining money will go to GLO’s other projects in the country.

Your donations are solely for the work of Great Lakes Outreach and will go directly to the charity. The trip costs (flights, accommodation, food, other expenses etc) are paid by ourselves.