Tara Derakshan
Join Tara in Supporting Women Survivors of War - Desert Trek in Iran
Fundraising for Women for Women International UK
Story
Dear friends,
You made it here! Thank you for taking the time to visit my fundraising page, to learn about one of the most important journeys in my life so far. This November, I am returning to my families country of origin IRAN, to attempt a challenge of a lifetime, while working with a wonderful group of strong women globally to raise money to help women survivors of war.
The money raised on this page will go directly to "Women for Women International" (more info below)- to provide tools and resources needed to move these women from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency. I hope you choose to support with a donation- even a small contribution goes a long way.
A few examples of what your donations can provide:
- £5 could provide the building blocks of education: a notebook, pen, pencil and ruler for two women in the programme.
- £13 could pay for enough vegetable seeds to cover 30 acres and enable a woman to feed her family and sell produce at market.
- £22 could pay for a bakery basket, containing equipment and supplies to enable a woman to set up her own small bakery business.
- £33 could pay for literacy training. When a woman learns how to read and write, she is able to run her business with confidence.
- £49 could pay for a sewing machine, to help a woman set up a home tailoring business and provide an income for her family.
- £163 could pay for a bee-keeper basket, with all the supplies needed to set up bee-keeping business.£327 could pay for a
- chicken-coop, to enable a woman to run a poultry business from home.
- £650 could pay for poultry training, to give a woman the skills she needs to care for poultry and raise money through the sale
- of eggs and chickens.
So, what the heck am I about to do?
This November, I am joining Women On a Mission (WOAM), in the attempt to cross the Lut Desert of Iran- a journey that stretches 200 km over 8 days. Marco Polo travelled through the Lut Desert on a camel- we are doing this on foot! If we succeed, we will be the first all-female team in recorded history to do so.
Lut means empty and that’s the essence of almost 500 kilometer of ridges, sand dunes, ravines and sinkholes. Dasht e Lut is also the hottest recorded place on Earth, a Silk Road route and home to kaluts, salt plains, sand dunes and meteorites (+35C by day and -6C at night at the time of our trek).
The team and I all passionately feel that the reality for so many women can no longer be tolerated, in any form, in any context, and by anyone around the globe. Therefore we are leaving our own comfort zones, our families and homes, and pushing our limits in an effort to rally support for a worthy cause.
I thank you in advance for your support and look forward to sharing this adventure all the way with you! I will be uploading photos before, during and after the trek so please follow my journey, as it now begins for real.
With love, gratitude and a high five for your support!
Tara
About the charity:
Women for Women International envisions a world where no one is abused, poor, illiterate or marginalised; where members of communities have full and equal participation in the processes that ensure their health, well-being and economic independence; and where everyone has the freedom to define the scope of their life, their future and strive to achieve their full potential.
That is why Women for Women International work with the most marginalised women survivors of war, in a carefully designed and tested one-year core programme, to provide support and safety networks. The women in their programme can choose a vocational skill to learn and receive business training, so they can earn a living; they are educated on their legal rights and how to fight of those rights in their homes, their communities and their nations. Programme graduates report that strengthened self-confidence and solidarity with women and others in their communities help to sustain changes and build a peaceful, sustainable future.
Women for Women International are able to do this because of the support of our donors and sponsors. This is a real opportunity to support their work and have a real positive impact in countries where it is needed most. Women for Women International need your help, now more than ever, to enrol 3,700 more women through their programme between now and the end of the year. Your gift could transform a woman’s life, and have a huge impact on her family and community.
Make sure to also watch the video about the charity, here: