The challenge is to complete my first Leicester Half Marathon on Sunday 6th October 2019, and make six £100 donations.

I'll be joined on the run - for morale boosting purposes - by my youngest son, Elliot (19) and his army fitness level, will hopefully mean, he can kick my backside around the 13.1 miles!!

One organization is located in Leicester (UK) and the other five in countries located in my Parallel Lives project regions – Latin America, West Africa, East Africa, South Asia, and South-East Asia.

Leicester – Charity Link

Every £10 donated enables them to unlock £50 from charitable trusts and every single penny goes to help local people and children in need. Therefore the £100 will become £500.

Haiti – The Andrew Grene Foundation NGO

Andrew Grene gave his life, aged 44, in the service of peace, in the earthquake of January 12, 2010 when the UN HQ building in Port au Prince collapsed. He worked for the United Nations in some of the world’s most precarious situations, among them the Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Eritrea. He helped to broker the peaceful transition of power from Indonesia to an independent East Timor. In his final posting he worked passionately, with unwavering courage and with an unshakeable belief in the country and the people of Haiti.

£100 will provide micro-finance for six women to start up in business – £16 per person.

Gambia – Global Hands NGO

Support their project exploring the “Backway” phenomenon (irregular youth migration) mainly from The Gambia in Sub-Saharan Africa, via Libya to mainland Europe. The project aims to deal with the hopelessness that drives youths from Sub-Sahara into perilous journeys across the desert and Mediterranean, often resulting in fatalities. £100 towards materials used in the micro-enterprise training project.

Kenya – Mind Me International NGO

The new community Library and safe-study space opened by this NGO, located in the Mathare slum area of Nairobi, is now fully operational. They aim to open 10 more across Kenya and the £100 will support the next locations development.

Sri Lanka – Asha Centre, Badowita

A small organization that works in an area of Mount Lavinia called Badowita - a purpose built low-income settlement established in the 90's, when the canals were regenerated in Colombo, and people living by the canals were moved to Badowita.

£100 for the purchase of resources for 6 months.

Asha Centre - Opened in 2012

Cambodia - Cambodia Social Welfare Orphanage

I'm developing a new programme in Cambodia called LEAP (Learning & Enterprise Access Programme) that supports local NGOs to become more sustainable. My £100 will be used to purchase materials for the first course in April 2020.

Now to start training………….Wish me luck!

Documentary Media Centre