Bea Meitiner
Lets make a difference to the most vulnerable children!
Fundraising for Street Child
Story
Let's go back to 2019 when I thought it was a good idea to go from couch potato to half marathon to raise money for Street Child despite the fact I hated running!
2020 - still hate running but half marathon complete and £500 raised for Street Child
2021 - Take a break from running (I hate it remember!)
2022 - Run a marathon in Sierra Leone for Street Child (still hate running) - raise £4000 for Street Child
2023 - Take a break from running and cycle 400 km to the Netherlands for Street Child (hate cycling less than running but hate wind!) - raise £2000 for Street Child
2023 - Cycle 70Km in the sweltering heat of Sierra Leone for Street Child - raise another £1000
2023 - Go to Uganda. Visit refugee camp. See amazing work that Street Child does. Decide that my hate for running isn't going to be enough this time. I decided to add 2500 metres of elevation to a ridiculous 50 km run. Why? To raise money for Street Child.
2024 - Why not combine my hate for running and my dislike for sweltering bike riding and do a duathlon in Sierra Leone?! Of course I said yes! Why? You got it! To raise money for Street Child.
Why do I feel so passionate about Street Child?
Because I have seen first hand how much of a difference they make to the most vulnerable children living in the most challenging countries. Can you imagine how you life would have turned out if you hadn't learned how to read and write? That is the reality for almost 60 million children in the world who don't have access to education!!
We take education for granted, but it is a luxury for many. Yet education is critical for progress, and is one of the fundamental necessities to eradicate poverty. Access to education is linked to fewer teenage pregnancies, less child fatalities, fewer child marriages, better health, improved care for animals, more nutritious diets, improved agriculture, and overall better prosperity for the entire community.
But why Street Child and not any other education based charity?
What I particularly like about Street Child is the sustainable nature of the approach they take. Their programs aren’t about throwing lots of money at a problem for a short-term solution. They don’t pay for the kid’s tuition or buy them the uniform. To do that year after year requires a tremendous amount of fundraising. Instead, they take a business-minded approach to provide the most impact for minimal investment which allows every penny raised to go A LOT further!
One such example if their Family Business Scheme. The Family Scheme can best be described using the adage: “Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for life”. Families receive a grant and the necessary training to run their own small businesses. Their progress is monitored to make sure it is successful so that the family can afford to send not just one kid to school, but all of their kids. Not only is this sustainable, but it is highly cost-effective, meaning that donor money can impact a much greater number of vulnerable children. A £70 grant in Sierra Leone can change the life of an entire family!
So my question to you is... how many families lives do you want to help me change? Whether you donate because I will be putting myself through hell and back during my 50Km Ultra in Madeira, or simply because like me, you want to create a future for those that need it most, then please consider donating. Even if you just donate the cost of a coffee, an ice cream or a pint of beer, your contribution will still make a huge difference!
And if you can't donate, not even the cost of a coffee, then please share this as wide as you can! A tiny bit of effort is enough to change someone's life!
THANK YOU!! From the bottom of my heart!
If you want to read about my various challenges and the work Street Child does, here are my most recent blog posts:
Cycling 400 Km for Street Child
Running the Craziest Marathon in the World for Street Child