Hello :) thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Just imagine for a second that you didn't have access to a toilet. Where would you go? Worse still, imagine that the river you used for drinking water also doubled up as a toilet; making water borne disease rife in your community. Add on top of that a government which refuses to accept you as a citizen and so does not build the necessary infrastructure needed for basic sanitation facilities. This is a situation experienced by many poor people across the global south today.

By running the Richmond Half Marathon with a toilet seat I hope to raise awareness of the importance of toilets for human health and well-being, something we so easily take for granted each day. Also, I hope to raise lots of money for The Mountain Trust, a charity which works with very poor Nepalese communities. Among other things, the charity helps to provide basic sanitation facilities for these communities.

I think The Mountain Trust is a great charity and I will be volunteering for them over the summer. If you're interested in what I will be doing then feel free to read the summary below: 

The work involves carrying out a development needs assessment for a small community of about 50 families in Hemja (Hyangja) a small unauthorised settlement, about 6 miles northwest of Pokhara, Nepal. Many of the residents are internally displaced people who are squatting in their current accommodation. Residents of the community make a living from excavating sand and stones from riverbeds to sell for building materials. The Mountain Trust has supported the community’s health and education needs over the last 5 years. My work will involve analysing past initiatives, undertaking a comprehensive study of the community and assessing their current needs. Past initiatives carried out by the Mountain Trust include a sanitation project: installing toilets and a water tank in the community. This has involved collaboration with the local government who have previously neglected the community and failed to officially accept them as residents of the village development area. My work will feed into efforts aimed at building links with local government and achieving authorised status for the Hemja community, as well as identifying other communities in similar situations in the Kaski district.

I will be working closely with three Mountain Trust employees, including a translator and two project leaders. My work will inform future Mountain Trust development projects.

 

If you've read down this far then I'm impressed and before you go to the toilet please donate whatever you can :)

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.