For those who do not know me, my name is Anastasija Mitnika-Gonta and I am a wife, mother, daughter, travel enthusiast and person who loves life, humour and people.

On the 22nd of May, I am going on a 10 day expedition off the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. I will join 12 other females from around the world on a mission to help women.

It will be my first ever TREKKING adventure, my first ever HORSEBACK riding adventure but most importantly it will be my first ever trip under the banner of "WOMEN ON A MISSION", a non-profit organisation which supports and empowers women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts, with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.

The expedition will be a challenge; it will take us through snow and rough terrains, we will climb Mount Malchin (4050m above sea level), we will sleep in tents and meet women from NCAV in Ulaanbaatar – a women’s centre for survivors of domestic violence. To be honest, I have a list of things that I need to take with me on this trip and I don’t even know half of them and why I need to take them 😊 that is how inexperienced I am.

Why did I decide to do that?

I have met women who travelled with WOAM to Iran and Ethiopia, who challenged themselves and tested their endurance, and most importantly raised funds to help other women and I thought their actions were truly inspirational… so I decided to become one of those women and to try to help as much as I can. 

I want my family to be proud of me, I want to become  an inspiration to my daughter and maybe even to other women.

This trip is 100% SELF- funded and my aim is to raise SGD 5,000, which will go directly to Women for Women International UK – a non-profit humanitarian organisation dedicated to support women survivors of war, poverty and injustice.

Please see what your money could buy

£27 could pay for Rights Awareness Training, so that a woman can learn that she is worthy of contributing to the decisions at home, including financial decisions, which may be traditionally handled by only men in the family.

£38 could pay for a goat, which can be raised for milk or cheese that can be sold at market, changing a woman’s life by giving her an income and status in her community.

£80 could pay for a bicycle, so a woman can quickly transport her goods, helping her grow and expand her business and become more self-sufficient.

£156 could pay for Men’s Engagement training, to give a man a place to explore gender, masculinity, and understand the benefits to families and communities when women are empowered.

£500 could pay for ten sewing machines, to enable women to set up a tailoring business and provide an income for their families.

£3,000 could pay for a greenhouse, for a woman to grow organic herbs to sell at market.

Thank you in advance for your time, help and generosity.

Please note that every little helps and every little makes a difference!

 Best regards, Anastasija, xxx