Hola!

As some of you may know, in January I will be trekking to the summit of the highest mountain in Africa: Kilimanjaro.

Why?

This epic trek is the one of many activities I will be undertaking as part of a wider project: BeeKind the sole purpose of which - raise as much money as possible for as many people as possible!

It may seem like a lofty goal but, put simply - I want to change the world! I know I can't do this but I can do my part to help. By creating BeeKind I am intending to channel donations and resources from multiple donors into a single objective: raising as much money as possible for each chosen cause.

I want to show the individuals that I meet and help, that there is hope and people do care about them (as cheesy as this sounds - it’s the truth). It is easy to underestimate the impact of one conversation or a single gesture to someone who is under privileged - it can be life changing for them. Giving up your time and/or donations to facilitate this kind of interaction is priceless.

The first project under the BeeKind umbrella will be the Kilimanjaro trek. I’m hoping to raise £5000 which equates to INR 420,000. This money will be spent on supporting two initiatives in India: St Antony’s Home for the Elderly and The Vatsalya Foundation, both of which are described in more detail below.

100% of all funds raised will go towards these initiatives.

Why is supporting BeeKind different from donating to other charities online?

The purpose of BeeKind is to provide a space for people to donate funds to causes they’re passionate about that allows them to see the direct impact of their donations, My aim is to increase the transparency of the donation process to allow donors to see exactly who their money is helping, and how it is doing so.

For me personally, one of the most vital considerations when deciding which charity to donate to is reassurance over how the money has been spent. Due to the increasing levels of admin involved in a lot of larger charities, I feel that the transparency around this spending process is steadily decreasing. Through BeeKind I want to address this issue and ensure that you can see exactly where your money has gone.

I will personally take control of what happens to the funds raised by getting involved first hand; working closely with the chosen charities to ensure that any donations are spent on the most appropriate resource. As with all projects under the BeeKind umbrella, the aim will be to ensure that donations are spent wisely in order to positively impact the largest number of people possible.

Getting involved:

The whole ethos of BeeKind is based on maximum participation and maximum impact. Therefore, any involvement is a positive involvement! You can show your support in any way you see fit: it can be as simple as forwarding my page to your friends or as extreme as actually coming to India with me! Please contact me on the following e-mail address: beekindproject26@gmail.com

I’ll be using social media (Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp etc.) to communicate with people who have taken the time to support this project to ensure that you feel like you are with me in spirit during each initiative. Whether you have donated time or money, both resources are equally valuable and I want you to be fully involved in the progress of each initiative.

About the initiatives:

The project will be based in two areas of India; Mumbai and Gujarat. With the funds I raise I will be working with the following charities primarily focused on women and girls.:

• St Antony’s Home for the elderly

St Antony’s Home facilitie for the elderly, majority of whom have been abandoned by family. The funds ring fenced to this charity will be used towards buying fresh ingredients and preparing meals to give to the residents at this home. Not just while I am there but after I have returned to London as well.

http://stantony.sccg.in/

• The Vatsalya Foundation

The Vatsalya foundation reaches out to children, new and old, at various contact points on the street: railway station platforms; market places; theatres and; places of tourist/religious interest. I will be working with this charity to provide meals and basic supplies to the children.

www.thevatsalyafoundation.org/