Cycling Kenya for Rosie
9th to 17th October 2010 - UPDATE
Hello
First of all I would like to say a massive thank you for your tremendous support. Thanks
to your generosity we smashed our original target and revised targets and have now hit
over £7, 000 in fact the cycle challenge fund has now reached £7,128 and with gift aid
of £1,339 the total increases to £8,467. (This has increased the overall Rosie fund to just
over £50,000!) It was an incredibly tough 10 days (we wouldn't have wanted it any other
way) but we reached Bungoma on time and in one piece. When struggling to get up the
never ending hills I thought of Rosie and your messages of encouragement and they
gave me the boost to keep going. Yet no physical pain can ever get close to the sadness
of Rosie not being here with us. But Rosie was with me. I saw her through the beauty of
the Kenyan countryside and I saw her smile on the faces of the children in the villages we
passed through. I always expected making it to the South End Academy and meeting
Brenda (the teacher we are all funding) and the children, would be the highlight of our trip
and I was right, they were amazing. I was overwhelmed by their love, energy, creativity
and passion. Their room is called "The Rosie Dwyer Art Room" and her photos and artwork
adorn one big notice board. All this was the reason I was there, it was hard to contain such powerful and very mixed emotions.
I had no doubt that Rosie's fund was making a big difference but I never thought that the
funding had and will continue to have such a big positive impact on the lives of so many
children. As soon as we can get a chance, Jacob and I will put together photos and a short
film of our visit to the school, which will tell the story and show you how your generosity
has transformed the lives of so many children.
Thank you
John
Please click on the CYCLE KENYA link for photographs taken during challenge
Please click on SOUTHEND ACADEMY link for the video
________________________________________________________________________
On the 21st December 2008, our lovely 19 year old daughter and sister, Rosie Dwyer,
died suddenly from septicaemia. Rosie lived life in glorious technicolor. Through the
charity Ace, we are sharing some of that colour by sponsoring an art & crafts teacher at
the South End Academy North Kenya. Due to Rosie's fund at Southend Academy,
sustainable craft skills are now being taught. Our aim is to fund this education for as many
years as possible. The majority of the children who will benefit have been orphaned by
HIV and/or AIDS but thanks to Rosie's fund, they will be able to learn new skills to enable
them to earn a living and break out of the destitution that is the fate of many millions of
children in sub-Saharan Africa. The support of the fund has been overwhelming, over £40,000
has been donated, but we don't want to stop there!!! So in October 2010, we (brother Jacob
and dad John) will be taking on the Cycle Kenya challenge. We have set ourselves a joint
fund raising target of £3000. Our sponsored bike ride will be a real challenge covering 600km.
We will be in the saddle for at least 6 hours every day (perhaps a lot longer at my pace)
on a mixture of tarmac and dirt roads. Accommodation for this challenge will be basic
(mainly camping). On the ride we will visit ACE Africa's community projects in Siaya and Bungoma, witnessing first-hand how the money raised will be used locally. On the
final section of the ride we will be joined by ACE Africa's staff including the Executive
Director, Augustine,who will talk about the work currently being conducted in country.
We have chosen the self payment option covering all the costs of the trip ourselves
which means that all the the sponsorship money raised will be going to ACE We can
assure you that the money raised is going to a really worthy cause and knowing that
orphaned children in Africa will receive an education in tribute to Rosie is a big comfort.
It is really heart-warming when friends give something as it means we know Rosie has
touched your lives too in some small way. Please be generous, your donations
whatever the amount will make a big difference to so many people.
£200 is the monthly salary for the teacher
£50 will pay for a teacher for a whole week
£25 will buy enough craft materials for a week
£10 will pay for a day of the teacher's time
£5 will pay for a day's worth of materials
The successe of the fund is a great tribute to Rosie, so please support
this campaign and of course spread the word to others.
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