Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

What's all this about?

In April 2018, I will be cycling through the very beautiful and often mountainous length of Vietnam -- a little over 2000km/1243 miles, from its capital Hanoi to the vibrant Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 

I will be a part of an incredible team of 20 riders from different background and ethnicities. The H2H Charity Ride is an annual event whose aim is to raise money for a number of charitable causes. 

I came to Vietnam in 2015. While living in Hanoi, I was given an amazing opportunity to teach young Vietnamese and foreign people. While I've tried my best to give back to this incredible country, I have come to realise I want to do more. 

If you walk through the streets of the Old Quarter in Hanoi, you can see dozens of children, some as young as five, walking around carrying a basketful of sweets to sell. Their dirt smudged faces looking up at you, asking you to buy their sweets in a dejected voice is truly heartbreaking.

They shouldn't be working. They should be in school, learning. 

These children live without access to proper education and healthcare. If we can extend a hand of support, we would be giving them a sliver of a brighter future. 

100% of donations go directly to the charities we support (listed below) as H2H is run by volunteers. All expenses (equipment, accommodations, etc) are covered by the riders themselves, sponsors and through UK gift aid.

To view our team page, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/teams/h2h2018 

To know more about H2H charity bicycle ride, please visit www.h2h.team. 

If you're curious about our past events and rides, please read our stories at www.h2hrfvc.blogspot.com

The charities:

1. SAIGON CHILDREN'S CHARITY: SCC helps disadvantaged children receive an education through building schools, giving scholarships and vocational training.  http://www.saigonchildren.com/what-we-do.aspx  

2. BLUE DRAGON is an organisation that supports the most vulnerable children in Vietnam. It aims to help children living in extreme poverty and those who are the victims of human trafficking and slavery, reunite them with their families where possible and provide services to help the children recover and grow. https://www.bluedragon.org/what-we-do/ 

3. KOTO stands for "Know One, Teach One". It seeks to empower at-risk youths to break out of the cycle of poverty through practical and meaningful training programmes in hospitality. http://www.koto.com.au

4. LIVE AND GIVE: a charity based in Belgium that also aims to assist disadvantaged children in Vietnam by building schools and kindergartens. http://www.liveandgive.eu/home.html

5.  ILA COMMUNITY NETWORK (ILACN) It is a non-profit organisation that co-ordinates fund-raising activities to support disadvantaged children in Vietnam and provide English language lessons at orphanages.  https://www.facebook.com/pg/ILA.CommunityNetwork/about/?ref=page_internal

What can you do to help?

First of all, you can help by donating any amount via my JustGiving page. Whether it’s $60, $40, $20 or even $10, your contribution will go a long way to providing safety, health, and education in a country that often lacks the ability to do so.

My goal is to raise $1000 USD for these charities. 

As I am slightly terrified at the thought of riding up and down mountains in the scorching heat, your support will keep me motivated.

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