Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On the 28th October 2015, I will be walking 20 miles carrying 20kg to raise funds to support the work of the Vwira Mental Health clinic in Malawi which Niamh, who I work for has been supporting for many years now.

I chose 20 miles as this is the average distance women and girls have to walking carrying water that weighs nearly 20kg every day in the sub-Saharan region.

If they can carry such a heavy load over this distance, then so can I to help raise funds to help those in Malawi who carry around with them the 'heavy load' of mental ill-health.

Here in Northern Ireland, those experiencing mental ill-health are able to access support from charities such as the one I work for to help them recover their mental wellbeing within their own communities. Accessing support when you become mentally ill in Malawi is not so easy.

Vwira is the word for 'help' in the Chichewa language, the clinic helps people like Alice (lady in the main picture who has had a history of hospitalisation due to mental ill-health. Previously her husband had to look after their 5 children when she was in hospital, Alice now gets support at Vwira).

When I heard about Alice's story and so many others like it that makes Vwira such a vital lifeline, I had to do something to help.

Please take a second to click on the link below and hear about Oriena, a truck driver with depression who also gets help at Vwira.