Victoria Pemberton
Victoria's page
Fundraising for Raleigh International Trust
Story
My name is Victoria Pemberton, that's me in the photo with my husband Ian. On the 30 April 2010 I will be leaving the UK to take part in an expedition to , there will be a team of 12 participants, including myself. The concept of the expedition is to set the team a challenge of making a real contribution to the lives of a remote community in against a very tight deadline. The community project is to build a school playground in a remote village, as yet to be decided, but probably in the very North-East of Namibia. We will be living and working in a local community and the project will involve the physical design and construction of the school playground.
The availability of school facilities is a major problem in northern , where there are thought to be over 6,000 children of primary school age who do not attend school. Even amongst existing schools, children are often taught under trees or in temporary buildings that do not provide adequate shelter.
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9 March 2010 – Community Project Update It has now been confirmed that we will be going to Donkerbos which is the community we will be working in with the San Bushmen from the Naro and Zu/hoa tribes. They were allocated a parcel of land to the east of the capital near to the border with about 13 years ago. They struggle to subsist in this isolated area with little in the way of basic services. Donkerbos is made up of about 50 families who exist on food grown in their personal gardens, harvesting Devils Claw from the bush for sale and producing crafts for the tourist market. There are about 150 children at who come from the surrounding area and include Herero children too. Some children sleep during the week at the hostel in the school grounds because it is too far to walk every day. The community have set aside a plot for us to build on next to the school and near to their community shop and church.****************************************************************************************************************************************
On successful completion of the playground we will embark on a trek, this will be a memorable experience in a wild and stunning landscape with the possibility of encounters with ostriches, elephants and antelopes. This trek will end at Spitzkoppe wilderness camp which is one of the most beautiful places in .
As part of our challenge we each need to raise a minimum of £1200, it would be fantastic if through you I could raise more as this money will go towards:
1. The programme of the charity which enables disadvantaged young people to take part in project opportunities regardless of background. 2. The communities of the countries that work in to provide long-term, worthwhile and sustainable projects.This project is run by Raleigh International which aims to develop young people who are self-confident, active global citizens passionate about making a difference to their world. aims to inspire people with a sense of life-purpose and self-belief by involving them more deeply with people, places, communities and challenges they would never expect to encounter nor believe they could experience.
Founded in 1984, the overseas and programmes are designed to help people develop skills and confidence in a fun and challenging environment outside the classroom and the work place. recognises that young people should have opportunities regardless of background and nationality and continues to work with young people from an “at risk” background, young people from the expedition countries and international participants.
A little bit more of history and background……
Back in 1978 when Colonel John Blashford-Snell and HRH Prince Charles started Operation Drake, they had a vision. They wanted to give young people a chance to explore the world and by doing so discover their potential as leaders and members of a team working together to make a difference. We still hold true these values today with our two commitments.
We're committed to inspiring people from all walks of life, ages and nationalities, involving them more deeply with people, places, communities and challenges and empowering them to be all they can be. Our second commitment is working in partnership with local communities to make a much needed difference to their lives.
is for life
is not just about an expedition; it's about being part of a community of like-minded people. Ordinary people who want to do something extraordinary with their lives, make a difference in the world and new friends along the way. Our vision is to inspire a generation to be all that they can be; to awaken a sense of life-purpose and belonging, and unite them as part of a global community who can work together to rise to the challenges of the world we live in.
Making a difference
As a charity, we raise funds to make our expeditions the best possible experience for the volunteers and the local communities. In this role, we act as a catalyst for change, bringing local communities together, sometimes for the first time as one team and giving them the resources and motivation to achieve sustainable development. To do this we work in partnership with local communities, non-governmental organisations and governments in the host countries, following the Millenium Development Goals where we can.
The challenges
From the very first expedition was founded on 4 challenges:
1. The challenge to be selected
2. The challenge to raise the funds to come
3. The challenge of the expedition
4. The challenege to make a difference on your return
It is these challenges that make special. Our values of discovery, courage, drive and integrity have come from the heart and we believe in them and live them in all we do.
Our charitable objectives are:
1. advancement of education and global citizenship
2. relief of those in need by reason of disadvantage
3. advancement of environmental protection and sustainable community development
These objectives are achieved through expeditions carried out in the and othercountries, for the purpose of providing experiential learning and personal development through adventure, challenge, and through community, environmental, and development projects.
If you want to know more about and the work they do please go to http://www.raleighinternational.org.uk
Many many many thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
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.
So please dig deep and donate now all donations no matter how small will be gratefully received.