I am excited to announce that next month from Sept 6 - 9 I will be biking a little over 300 km from Po to Fada including passing a few kilometers from my village to raise money for gender equality activities organized by Peace Corps Volunteers in Burkina Faso. Over the last two years many people have asked how they can support the work that I am doing here and up until now, there haven't been many fundraisers or activities that I felt comfortable promoting. I totally support this bike tour though and encourage anyone that feels like giving to know their money is going to good use.
Peace Corp's Gender and Development (GAD) Committee funds a variety of activities put on by volunteers including girls camps and the family planning conference camp I participated in with two girls from my village. As you probably know, I have done a lot of work with girls in my village including a girl's camp last summer which became a weekly girls club so these are activities I really believe will help toward Burkina's development.
Below is a letter from GAD which I think explains what an amazing activity this is or check out their website for more information and to donate.
Dear family and friends of Peace Corps Burkina Faso,
Beginning September 5, 2010, Peace Corps Volunteers from around Burkina Faso will be participating in Sur nos Vélos, pour le Faso! , a country-wide bike tour to raise money for Gender and Development projects in Burkina Faso and celebrate Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary.
Gender and Development projects, be they creating a girl-friendly classroom or helping a women's group conduct an income generating activity, are of critical importance in Burkina Faso and represent a significant component of each Volunteer’s work. The sole function of the Gender and Development (GAD) Committee is to support volunteer-initiated, gender equity projects around Burkina Faso; however, the committee’s capacity is currently limited by a lack of funding. The primary goal of Sur nos Vélos, pour le Faso! is to generate funds so the GAD Committee can once again begin giving small-scale project grants and Volunteers can continue the essential work of promoting gender awareness and equality in Burkina Faso.
Please help us reach our fundraising goal by visiting our blog and making a donation:
burkinabiketour.blogspot.com
In Burkina Faso, one dollar goes a long way, so even the smallest contribution will make a big difference! Follow our blog, and we will keep you updated on the road!
In addition to supporting future GAD projects, the bike tour will kick-off Burkina Faso’s “Peace Corps at 50 Years” celebration. Riding from village to village, visiting as many Volunteers’ sites as possible, we will have a unique opportunity to interact with communities, raise awareness of the presence and purpose of Peace Corps, and celebrate the many gender equity projects that Volunteers have performed in collaboration with local associations.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Sincerely,
The Bike Tour Team
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