Ok so for those who know me personally, know how much of a challenge this will be for me. 😊💪

On the 3rd of January 2017, I will be cycling 🚴 through the south of Spain 🇪🇸 with Islamic Releif to raise £1,500 to provide local villagers in Mali with two boreholes equipped hand pumps. Providing the  villagers with the most basic human need of safe water will be a form of sadaqa jariya (ongoing charity).

With your support, encouragement and donations - I will swap the Krispy Kremes (dreadfully) for apples and gym workouts to endure a 400km cycle over mountainous lands! ⛰ So please make any contribution you see fit, whether it be £2 or £50 (wont complain if £500 😉), every little helps! 

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives another except that Allah increases his honor, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises his status.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Further information:

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT


With a population size of 16,450,000 and a poverty rate of 45%, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is part of Sahel countries’ most vulnerable areas to climate change affecting in depth communities whose socio-economic activities depend on water availability. It is featured by frequent inter annual rainfall variability, with a result of long periods of droughts.

In addition to that, the country’s public water infrastructures are not in operation or are in need of repair and in some areas, such as Molobala and Balala villages, a water distribution system is not even existing.


As a result, communities – rural ones in particular – seek water from unsafe sources, which are the major causes of a high infant mortality rate and diseases. The difficulty in accessing to safe water primarily affects women and girls – 50% of total population –who are assumed to play a role of prime water supplier for the household and who are frequently forced to quit their schools and remain out of the community life for this reason.

Due to these circumstances, entire communities can’t fulfil their basic needs, including access to food, water and sanitation facilities. The most vulnerable groups affected remain single headed households,
elderly people, disabled, widows and orphans.


2 NEED ASSESSMENT


Islamic Relief staff took steps to assess the immediate needs of both communities either through surveys to collect data and direct meetings with the beneficiaries and local authorities. The assessment showed that the water coverage rate is nearly 39% in both localities and that for a total population of 4,100 inhabitants only 4 boreholes are operational which is against the national standard of 1 borehole for 400 people.


As immediate consequences of these circumstances:
- High population pressure on the existing water points;
- Recurring disputes amongst women during water fetching;
- Poor personal hygiene and sanitation within household;
- School absenteeism of young girls, who are directly involved in providing water for their families;
- Unsafe water consumption and water diseases, such as diarrhea.

3 ISLAMIC RELIEF’S RESPONSE


The project action is aiming directly to improve the living conditions of the community in the two villages through accessing safe water supply in their locality by setting up two hand pumped boreholes. The direct beneficiaries of the project will be 800.


The process of implementation will include these activities:
1. Setting up of two boreholes equipped with hand pumps;

2. To build a committee of 14 people with the objective of running an awareness campaign on water diseases and training its members on the use and maintenance of the two boreholes.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.