If you are a woman reading this then you know just how hard it is to leave the shop without buying that gorgeous top that fits you so well or that bag that matches your shoes perfectly. If you are a man reading this then you most probably have a girlfriend, wife or partner who knows what I am talking about. This is the challenge I'm taking on: for a whole year, starting on 1st November 2009 I will stand firm and I won't give in to the tempation of buying any clothes, shoes, bags, hats, gloves, scarves, belts, socks or anything else that would cram my wardrobe even more.

I'm doing this for 2 reasons. The first reason is that other people need clothes more that I do. I still have items of clothing that I'm only wearing once a year and I find that quite wasteful. I personally know many children and families living in the poorest areas of Romania, who can't afford to buy clothes because there are more important things they have to spend money on, such as food, transport or medication. 

The second reason is that there are women in the world for which the clothes they're wearing are just that: clothes, pieces of fabric covering their bodies. Their daily concerns are not the mid-season sale nor the latest trends in fashion, but the violence and the abuse they're facing daily from family and society or the discrimination and injustice they're subjected to in poor countries around the world. For a whole year I won't be buying any clothes but use the money that would otherwise be spent in high street shops to raise £1000 for charity. 

Actually, I'm raising money for two charities: Relief Fund for Romania (working to improve the lives of orphans and poor children in Romania) and Womankind Worldwide (helping women and defending their basic rights around the world). 

But I can't do this on my own so please, give as much as you can. 

To raise money for poor children in Romania please donate visiting my page dedicated to the Relief Fund for Romania. To save the lives and dignity of many vulnerable women around the world, please donate via my page dedicated to Womankind Worldwide. 

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.