“Personal action creates an energy of hope, which not only expands us as individuals but deepens our bonds with the rest of humanity.”  Lynne Franks 

Dear friends,

On November12^th, I will embark on a 13 days trek across the unspoilt Lut Desert of Iran to raise awareness and funds for Women for Women International, an organisation providing women survivors of war with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.   

Our team will attempt to be the first all-female team in history to cross the 200km expanse of unforgiving desert terrain by foot. It will be our Women on a Mission (WOAM) most physically challenging expedition yet and I’ll definitely push myself well beyond my comfort zone. There will be sweat, there will be pain, there will be nasty blisters and sand going virtually everywhere (so we were told!) but above all it will be a wonderful journey about friendship and sisterhood as we all commit to creating a sustainable and positive future for women whose lives have been devastated by violence.

Those of you who have followed and supported my actions and efforts as one of WOAM co-founders since our very first expedition to Everest Base Camp back in 2012 know how dedicated we are to advancing the position of women around the world. Our expeditions and fundraising events have raised over US$ 600,000 so far, almost half of it for Women for Women International, allowing 400 women to join their year-long program and impacting 1000s more women in their communities. 

Please help me make this expedition another fundraising success. 

All the team members are financing their own expedition costs, so all money raised will go directly to Women for Women International. Any contribution, no matter what size, will make a difference! 

Join me,  your gift can transform a woman's life.  

Karine

CURIOUS TO KNOW MORE?

THE CHALLENGE: 

Our team will be will be crossing the Lut Desert of Iran, recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016. Lut means ‘emptiness’ in Persian, and is home to some of the highest dunes and the hottest recorded spot on the Earth’s surface. Global satellite survey once registered ground temperatures of 70 Celsius.

In 1271, Marco Polo travelled through the Lut desert, as did British explorer, Wilfred Thesiger, in 1964 — but both used camels. We will be crossing the 200km expanse of unforgiving desert terrain, by foot, attempting to become the first all-female team in history to do so.

The trek includes an average of 8 hours of hard hiking per day (carrying 15 kg packs) under blistering heat. During our journey, we’ll pass a multitude of ever-changing landscapes of imposing sand dunes explore salt plains cracked from the fierce sun, pass meteorite craters and finally tackle the ‘moon on earth’, miles of kalut rock formations that stand like enormous sand castles and which serve as a stark reminders of just how harsh this desert environment can be.

WE SUPPORT WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL: 

Since 1993, Women for Women International (WfWI) has worked to provide women survivors of war, civil strife, and other conflicts with resources to move from crisis and poverty into stability and self-sufficiency. WfWI delivers these resources through a tiered, year-long program that begins with direct financial aid and emotional support. Participants also learn about their legal rights; receive life-skills training such as health awareness, numeracy, budgeting and saving, decision-making and negotiation, and civic participation; learn business and vocational skills; and gain access to income-generating activities where they can apply those skills and begin moving towards economic stability.

Through their one-year programmes, women become confident, independent and productive. They embrace the importance of their roles in rebuilding their families, their communities and ultimately their nations.  

Along with helping more than 400,000 women in the past 20 years to rebuild their own lives and those of their families and communities after war, WfWI uses its voice to call global attention to the unique role that women play in advancing peace throughout society.

For more information please visit Women for Women International’s website: http://www.womenforwomen.org  

WOAM - WHO WE ARE ?

I am proud to be one of the co-founders of Women on a Mission (WOAM), a non-profit organisation, headquartered in Singapore.  Since 2012 we organize yearly challenging expeditions, dynamic marketing campaigns and events to raise awareness and funds for women survivors of war, and to support and empower women who have been subjected to violence and abuse.

We partner with existing well-established non-profit institutions that already have well run programmes and structures in place dedicated to serving the underprivileged with a particular focus on women's issues. 

We aren't getting paid to do this. Instead, we are just like you, ordinary people united by a strong drive to make a difference in the lives of people not as fortunate as we are.  

Building on our success, our goal is to raise USD 1 million by 2018. When women come together and are passionate about a cause, extraordinary things can happen!

For more information please visit Women for Women International’s website: http://www.womenmission.com 

JUST GIVING:

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.