What, where and why? Hopefully I can answer all your questions.
What are you raising money for?
We are raising money to help children go to school in Mwandi, Zambia. Last year we raised $2,731 and was able to send 11 children and 1 special needs child to school plus 3 vocational education courses for some young adults. In order to keep those 11 children (plus the special needs child) going to school we'll need to raise at least $1650 again. The more the better of course. This year we'll be introducing a second charity if we exceed what we need for Mwandi. Details on this will be released soon, but the one we have in mind is well worth it.
Why are you walking?
In 2012 my dad and I walked from Hahndorf to Rundle Mall, a total of around 33kms. We thought if we can walk that far we can walk a bit further, so in 2013 we challenged ourselves to walk from our house to Glenelg, a total of 46kms. Then in 2014 we expanded on that and walked 52kms, from our house to the city (40kms) and then go on a 12kms fun run, making it a total of 52kms. This year we're walking from the top of Mount Barker to Glenelg in one hit. It'll be about 60kms over 12 hours.
Tell me about the Mwandi United Church of Zambia Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project.
Mwandi United Church of Zambia Orphans & Vulnerable Children Project was established in 2005 to provide nutritional, educational and social support to children throughout the Mwandi community. In Mwandi 33% are HIV positive. Mwandi has a child population of approximately 3000 of which 1500 are orphans or considered to be vulnerable. Mwandi UCZ OVC currently attempts to mitigate the effects of these startling statistics in a number of ways. For more information visit their site.
How much does it cost?
There are various types of donations you can make to the Mwandi United Church, but I thought sending a child to school for a year for $90 sounded the best. It covers tuition fees, uniforms and stationary.
How do I donate?
You can easily make a donation on this site. Click the Donate button in the menu bar or click here.
What are you taking donations via PayPal instead of something else like Everyday Hero?
PayPal delivers the most cost-effective way to collect money from people. PayPal charges me 2.4% + $0.30 per transaction where Everyday Hero charges "a small 6.5% administration fee" + 10% GST + 1% processing fee + $0.23 + 10% GST. If I were to collect a total of $900 worth of donations from 15 different people I would be paying Everyday Hero a total of $78.05 of processing fees. This is compared to PayPal's $26.10 of processing fees. I'd rather see that difference go towards the children. Note that you need to be 13 to have a PayPal account. As a result I'm using my dad's account for collection.
Will you do another walk in the future?
I plan to do an annual walk of a long distance, where I'll continue to donate to the Mwandi School Children and other charities. As long as you guys keep donating, I'll keep walking.