A GREAT BIG RUN FOR AFRICA 100% of pledges go straight into Ethiopia

I will be running in a relay fundraiser on October 18th in the Okanagan called "A Great Big Run for Africa". This 100km relay will raise funds for the Canadian registered charity "Partners in the Horn of Africa" www.PartnersintheHorn.org. This charity gives a hand up, not a hand out by partnering with people in Ethiopia and requiring them to put up 15% of project costs in the form of labour or money for their community projects. Another one of the ways they create change is through micro loans for women to start their own businesses and become self sustainable.

SOMEBODY NEEDS YOU and you CAN help by pledging me for this run.

$70 will is enough to DRASTICALLY change the life of an Ethiopian woman. This will provide her with a micro loan to be self sustainable. Life for women in Ethiopia is hard and they often end up as marginalized members of Ethiopian society with no means to care for themselves or their children. Women are required to pay back these small loans and when they do, they become eligible for larger loans to grow their businesses. By helping an Ethiopian woman with a $70 loan you are giving her a chance at survival. Think of all the things in life that we spend $70 on. It is hard to fathom that it is enough to turn around one person's entire life.

There are many reasons I like this charity so much. It is run by 2 retired businessmen, one in Enderby, BC and one in Edmonton, AB. There is so overhead cost to this organization. It is completely volunteer and EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR goes right into Ethiopia. Here is some more information from their website:

"Partners in the Horn of Africa works in Ethiopia, the largest country in the "Horn of Africa", focusing on the areas of greatest need --- infrastructure improvement, health & welfare and women’s anti-poverty projects. We are a non-denominational, registered Canadian charity. We use a unique operating model for aid to developing countries:

• 100% of all donations go directly to aid projects in Ethiopia. None of your donation goes to advertising (we don't do any), commissions (we don't pay any) or mailing, travel, credit card fees or administrative expenses (our Director's and private foundations pay these along with donating their time and expertise).
• Our African Partner (usually an indigenous charity or a village) is required to contribute 15 to 20% of project costs
• We focus our work in the more remote areas of the country that are often ignored by other NGO’s. "

Any donation over $20 is tax deductable, and most or all of what you donate you will get back:

_"TAX BENEFITS_

A Canadian taxpayer receives a tax credit for their donation to Partners in the Horn of Africa. The first $200.00 of donations claimed in a year is eligible for a credit based on the lowest level tax bracket and donations in excess of $200.00 are eligible for a credit based on the highest tax bracket. For B.C. residents the combined Federal and Provincial tax credits are 22.05% and 43.70% respectively.

The cost of a donation to Partners for a taxpayer who has already contributed $200.00 to other charities would be:
Donation Cost
$100.00 $56.30
$200.00 $112.60
$500.00 $281.50
$1000.00 $563.00"

I want to ask everyone to strongly consider pledging me $70, or as much as you can give. You can drastically change a life, while getting all or most of the donation back on your taxes.

Please click on the DONATE link on the upper left corner of this page to make a pledge, or send me a cheque, made payable to "Partners in the Horn of Africa".

I will mail out tax receipts for every donation over $20.

This is a cause that is very close to my heart. We can create change in the world, even when those problems seem insurmountable. You just have to reach out and do it. See past entries on this blog for some more facts about Ethiopia and how dire their need is. Also, check out www.partnersinthehorn.org to see what they are doing about it.

Please help!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
~Margaret Mead

Our baby girl is 5! She is a beautiful, emotional, intelligent little girl who tells me tenderly, "you're the best mom in town," and turns around for some animated and very vocal kung fu fights with her dad.

Maybe it was how fast these years have slipped past, or the way her dad so eloquently noted, "when this amount of time goes by 3 more times, she'll be on her own", but this birthday really made me tear up. My girl will be starting school this fall, and the little one will be in playschool. It is all whirling by on fast forward, with no way to press pause.

D is also growing up in much more of a hurry than her big sister and it makes me both laugh and worry. Her personality is quirky and a great sense of humour oozes out. Despite her favourite jokes being bum and fart related, and usually not making any sense, her laugh is deep and contagious and she could charm anyone.

I just want to hang on and do it all a little slower, give it a little more time to soak in, but the older they get the faster it goes. Or actually, the older I get the faster it goes. Anyway, the point is, it goes. Fast. Sometimes I wish it took them twice as long to grow. But I can rest easy as I have been assured, "Mom, I'll never leave you." Um, we'll see.