50 days, 1000km: Martin's Somali Clean Water Challenge
On April 19 I reach the ripe old age of 60, also known as the second flush of youth. To mark this auspicious occasion I'm aiming to raise £2,600 to provide clean water for life to 100 families in a country where 8 million people lack access to safe water and sanitation. It feels like a better idea than hiding in a dark room while someone takes a chainsaw to the humanitarian causes I hold dear.
This year the periods when Muslims fast for Ramadan (throughout March) and Christians fast for Lent (March 5 to April 19) closely overlap. In this 50-day period, God willing, I will cover a half-marathon distance of 21.1km every day - 10k cycling, 10k walking and 1.1k in the pool. While I am racking up 1,055km, every £26 you donate will give a family the gift of clean water for life through Zamzam Foundation - Somalia's biggest charity organisation.
To raise awareness and raise funds in the UK, Zamzam Foundation has formed a partnership with a UK registered charity called the Somali Relief and Development Forum (SRDF), which in future will be known as Zamzam UK. Zamzam Foundation has drilled over 160 boreholes and built over 5,000 wells since it was founded 33 years ago. With your support for my Clean Water Challenge, we can give the gift of clean water to 100 families - one family for every £26 donated.
Zamzam Foundation was set up by Somalis for Somalis in 1992, a year of unprecedented humanitarian crisis following the collapse of central government and the severe famine that ensued. Since then it has established itself as the country's biggest charity, supporting more than 2.2 million people each year.
Organizer
Martin Cottingham
Organizer
England
SOMALI RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT FORUM
Beneficiary