On Thursday the 19th of September I will be flying out to Peru with a team of people to help build dormitories for indigenous girls in the Peruvian mountains. In order to do this I need to fundraise a total of $1600USD which will be paid to Building Humanity: the charity who I am volunteering for.

As many of you know, I never exercise or go to the gym and had quite bad asthma when I was younger. Therefore, I thought it would be a good challenge for me to do most of my fundraising by running the Edinburgh half marathon in May. As well as this, I will also be doing the three-peak challenge with James Marshall (who is also volunteering) which will involve us reaching the peak of each of Scotland, England and Wales's highest mountains within 24hrs.

If you feel like donating, it would really mean a lot to me! Below is a small description of who I will be helping in Peru and why it is such an important mission I will be part of.

Much love, Dan x

In Peru, indigenous communities are dispersed throughout the Andes Mountains and lack access to many public services, including education. Children must walk several hours to the nearest elementary school and high schools which are often only located in larger town centers, often a distance that is too far of a journey to be made by foot. This lack of access to education presents an even greater challenge for indigenous girls. While many boys move to urban centers to pursue educational opportunities, this same option is not available to most girls.

Only four in ten Peruvian girls from rural Andean communities will graduate from secondary school. Education for women is an especially important investment as the benefits impact future generations and families. Female education is proven to have a substantial impact on reducing poverty. Studies show that an educated woman is more likely to have a smaller and healthier family, a stronger voice in family negotiations and the ability to advocate for herself and her children.