John Bishop achieved something quite amazing this last week to help raise money for Sport Relief. The money he raised by biking, rowing and running will go to support a number of projects both in Africa and the UK.
The way the people of the UK give so generously to this charity every year always humbles me. Even when things are not great, we manage to rally round and help others less fortunate.
What I would like people to think about is how things are never that great in The Gambia. It is a truly desperate country where people struggle to live everyday. They are not the worst off in the world I am sure, and I do hope that the Bantaba Project becomes a blueprint for further projects in Africa and around the world. The reason I am starting in The Gambia is because the people have touched my heart. They are truly happy, even living the way they do. They do not wish for IPads, Cars or HD TV's. They wish for enough money to be able to have fresh water and rice to maintain a diet. Even when they do not always get this, they are not unhappy. They rejoice in the things they do have... family, music and dance!
A bag of rice in the Gambia costs £20 and this will feed an entire compound for over 2 weeks! 3 bricks to help build the Bantaba Project cost about a pound. I will do all the running... like John Bishop, and you don't have to do anything, except maybe think of everything you have and take for granted and maybe go without one little luxury this week and donate the money to my justgiving page.
The Bantaba Project will aid development and bring job creation to this very desperate country and allow people the chance to build a better lives for themselves. They don't want handouts and someone to magic all their problems away. They want to have a place of work to go to every day. They want their sons to learn useful trades so they don't have to marry middle aged British women and leave their country. They want their daughters to learn skills that will provide a future so that they do not have to spend the evening in seedy clubs, picking up British guys who will pay them 50 dallasis (just over £1) for a nights work.
As I said, I will do all the running! Please, donate the money that would normally go towards that cup of coffee, that extra pint, that magazine, that muffin, that whatever it is, to my justgiving page and help me make a real difference in the world!
xXx
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