Call to Alms ….Hitting The Trail

"Twenty-three years ago in a remote village, Rabai danda in Nepal a small pre-school and health post opened its doors to gongs, pipes and a lot of dancing. After the ceremony and hidden up to then, emerged a young mother holding a 10-day old baby who was all skin and bone, clearly dying. What to do?

It turned out the baby had dysphagia and couldn’t swallow let alone digest her mother’s milk. She was literally starving to death in her mother’s arms. The mother had walked nearly a day to reach our new little school and health post in this remote village. Another 2 days walk and we arrived with mother and child at Pokhara and ended up at the government hospital in town. After a minor US$140 surgical procedure, the baby began to feed and blossom, much to the relief of the new young mother.

Sangeeta is now a 23-year-old healthy, vivacious, confident young woman who knows little of how close she came to dying in the hills of a remote village in Nepal."

“Being part of that showed us just how much can be achieved with so little effort and how the lives of many can be saved and changed forever."

I began my fund-raising efforts in HK in 1996 but had the privilege to be invited to raise funds in Singapore, UK, Europe and even in the middle east Dubai and Qatar. It has been my privilege to see Child Welfare Scheme (CWS) grow and receive support from so many. Since those early days the charities, CWS & Children4Children Nepal (C4CN), have been transforming the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children, young people and vulnerable individuals through the many services the charities provide through their main implementing partner, Right4Children, in Nepal.

The economical downturn worldwide has particularly been felt in our charity sector with a very clear financial crunch affecting our projects and services. As we navigate these challenging times, it is crucial that we bring attention to the vulnerable children, young people and women in Nepal who are being pushed into the adult entertainment sector due to extreme circumstances.

We have joined with Right4Children to undertake the PRAYASS (Protection from Risk and Assisting Young Girls and Women in Accessing Social Services) project to prevent human trafficking and assist survivors of this horrible trade. We are pleased to inform that all funds raised through this race will be directed to this project, thereby helping C4CN's vital work in Nepal

It’s time that those who can, do, rather than just talk and over the years I have been raising funds for C4CN by taking part in global ultramarathons in hot dry places. This November I am dusting off the trainers, slipping once again into lycra and taking on this year’s 250km marathon in Jordan supporting the much-needed programmes C4CN offers the vulnerable. Please donate for our long standing charity that has brought relief to so many delivering vital protection, health and education services.

Lastly, I know I am a bit crazy to undertake this challenge, but sometimes extreme actions are needed to tackle extreme challenges, and I would like to thank you all so much for helping me get over the finish line with your generous support!

Much love to you all,

Douglas