A thank you of enormous proportions goes out to everyone who helped me exceed 100% of my fundraising goal!  I am truly grateful for your support.  

Your contributions will help Nepalese children who are living below the poverty line, malnourished, unable to complete primary education, and at risk of dying before their fifth birthday.  Your donations pay for these children to learn a vocation and gain employment, receive treatment for preventable illnesses, or simply have a nutritious meal and a safe place to sleep at night. 

If you have not yet contributed, you can still do so for a bit longer.  I leave for the race in Namibia on May 21.   

Again, I extend a heartfelt thank you for your generosity.

~Tamara

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Dear Friends and Family,
Welcome to the fundraising website I have created in connection with running the Namibia Desert Marathon next May!  I am fundraising for CWS (Child Welfare Scheme), which is dedicated to helping disadvantaged children in Nepal.

Why the Namibia marathon?  I thought this was the perfect way to combine my passions for running and traveling together.  As many of you know, I have already completed a couple of marathons in the U.S. and have always wanted to run an international marathon.  Running one in the oldest desert in the world seemed like the next logical step!  This time I wanted to make the experience more meaningful.  I have never fundraised for a marathon, but I would be grateful to have your support as I pledge to raise £ 3000 ($5,000) for CWS in Nepal.

Why CWS?  This is one of the charities associated with the race and it struck me as a noble cause.  The story behind the organization's beginning may remind many of you of the book Three Cups of Tea and the power of one person to make a difference.  You can read more about CWS at this link:  http://www.cwsuk.org/about_us/

Last year alone, CWS helped more than 13,000 children obtain free health care, more than 500 children have a safe place to play while their parents were at work, and over 5,000 Nepalese mothers learn how to look after their own health and the health of their children. Nepal is the least developed country in Asia with years of conflict worsening the poverty. Out of every 100 children in Nepal, 42 live below the poverty line, 48 will be malnourished, 42 will be involved in child labor, 39 will not complete primary education, and 7 will die before their 5^th birthday.  Your donation goes a long way in Nepal, for example:

$8 (£ 5) could help educate a Nepalese child by providing him/her with books for a year.
$16 (£ 10) could provide medical help for a child living in a remote mountain community.
$41 (£ 25) could prevent health problems and accidents associated with traditional stoves, by building an improved cooking stove for a family in Nepal.
$65 (£ 40) could provide protection and safety for a girl at high risk of abuse, by paying for an emergency home for a month.
$82 (£ 50) could mean a street child no longer has to go hungry by buying them a meal every day for a year.

CWS is based in London, and therefore is only able to accept your contribution in United Kingdom Pounds (£).  I apologize in advance for any inconvenience or confusion this may cause you.   Please use the following quick “cheat sheet” for currency conversion. 

If you would like to give:

 

I am excited about this new adventure and inspired to use it to help others less fortunate.  I hope to share with you pictures and tales upon my return.  Thank you for your support!