Thanks for taking the time to consider supporting my fundraising efforts as I join a team of "Women on a Mission" to Trek Across the Namib Desert in Support of Women Survivors of War.

Our team will attempt to become the first all-female team to cross the world’s oldest Desert, the Namib, on foot from the Kuiseb river to the wild Atlantic coast.  

The past 16 months has been incredibly challenging for me and my family as we have been displaced from a wildfire that destroyed 1000 homes in Louisville, Colorado alongside my Dad passing away suddenly a few days later. I was lucky enough to be offered an opportunity to step way outside of my comfort zone and I'm truly a woman on a mission to get fit and ready for the adventure ahead. I've never done anything like this before and my goal is to inspire and empower others while raising awareness, funds, and championing women survivors of war.

(I am self funding this mission so 100% of donations will go directly to the non-profit via this page)

THE MISSION TO TREK ACROSS THE NAMIB DESERT

An independent, self-funded team of 16 women from around the world, under the banner of Women on a Mission(WOAM), a non-profit organisation headquartered in Singapore that supports and empowers women survivors of war and violence, will embark on a 10-day pioneering expedition to Namibia in September 2023. The team will attempt to become the first all-female team to cross the world’s oldest Desert, the Namib, on foot from the Kuiseb river to the wild Atlantic coast.  

For this next expedition, WOAM’s 12th to date, the team will trek 125km on foot across over some of the world’s tallest sand dunes in one of the driest regions of the African continent. The expedition’s objective is to raise $75,000 USD for women survivors of war in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Sudan via Women for Women International – UK, an organisation that works with some of the most marginalised women in the world helping them to transform their lives.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

Currently, Women for Women International are working with partners in Syria, Myanmar, Ukraine and the Tigray region of Ethiopia and have worked with partner organisations in Bangladesh and Yemen. Through the Ukraine Conflict Response Fund, Women for Women International team have identified their priority partners on the ground, working to support the overlooked needs of women affected by the current conflict, who are now exposed to extreme violence, abuse, and the risk of human trafficking. In April 2023, Women for Women International mobilised the Conflict Response Fund to identify Sudanese women’s rights organisations to meet the urgent needs of women impacted by the conflict in Sudan.

SHOPPING LIST

Please take a look at the shopping list below of the impact from your donation and THANK YOU for any donation you might consider.

£27/$35 could pay for Rights Awareness Training, so that a woman can learn that she is worthy of contributing to the decisions at home, including financial decisions, which may be traditionally handled by only men in the family. 

£38/$48 could pay for a goat, which can be raised for milk or cheese that can be sold at market, changing a woman’s life by giving her an income and status in her community.  

£80/ $100 could pay for a bicycle, so a woman can quickly transport her goods, helping her grow and expand her business and become more self-sufficient. 

£156/$200 could pay for Men’s Engagement training, to give a man a place to explore gender, masculinity, and understand the benefits to families and communities when women are empowered. 

£500/$635 could pay for ten sewing machines, to enable women to set up a tailoring business and provide an income for their families. 

£3,000/$3,815 could pay for a greenhouse, for a woman to grow organic herbs to sell at market. 

WHY YOUR DONATION IS SO VALUABLE

Women for Women International primarily serves women survivors of conflict and war in 14 countries. In Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Sudanthey’ve established dedicated offices and staff to deliver their year-long Stronger Women, Stronger Nations programme.  They also recognise women need urgent support when caught in the midst of conflict.  Established in 2018, the Conflict Response Fund is a mechanism that allows Women for Women International to respond quickly when women are most in need, to help prevent and heal the trauma they experience during war. 

Through a non-partisan approach and responsive grants, Women for Women International can track crises in real time, identify credible partners on the ground and allocate resources to meet the needs of women survivors, no matter what side of a conflict they are on.

 Since 2002, Women for Women International has served more than 127,000 women in Afghanistan, providing women with the tools and resources to build a sustainable future for themselves and their families.  WOAM, now in its 12th year of operation, has raised well over $1,000,000 US dollars to date, to support organisations that advance the position of women around the world.

In addition to Women for Women International, the team also champions and has raised funds for the following charities: International Justice Mission, UN Women, AWARE - Singapore’s leading gender equality advocacy group and Pertapis Home for Women and Girls in Singapore. The past ten WOAM expeditions have been to regions of the Himalayas, the Middle East, Africa, Mongolia, South East Asia and the Arctic Circle.  

To learn more about the power of women, for women, visit womenforwomen.org.uk or follow @WomenforWomenUKon social media.    

 UK Charity Registration Number: 1115109  

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