40km Charity Walk

Update: I am sadly no longer able to do this walk (can't get the time off work after all), but Jen and her friend are still taking part.  Please sponsor them for my sake! Thank you :)

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Once upon a time, there were two little girls who loved Disney.  One was called Charlotte (me!), the other was Jen.  When they grew up, they had a crazy idea, worthy of the Mad Hatter - they wanted to work at Walt Disney World, Florida.

They jumped through all the hoops, and finally found themselves being asked to go to Cardiff for a face-to-face interview.  They went online and talked to other crazy people.  That's where they started talking to each other.  Jen suggested they share a hotel, to split the cost.  I agreed.  Sharing a hotel room with a complete stranger, in a strange city - what's the worst that could happen...?

Five years have gone by since that day.  Both girls went to Disney.  Jen worked in retail at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

I was a custodian in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Both girls stayed friends on Facebook, checking in on each other every now and again.  Jen was kind enough to invite me to her Alice in Wonderland themed hen party last year.  

That was the first time we'd seen each other since our interview in Cardiff.

I've been following Jen's progress as she has been running Tumaini Kenya, a charity in Kenya for street children, and those in juvenile prison.  They started in 2011, and have made a huge difference in the children's lives since then.  Jen runs the charity from the UK.  Her project worker in Kenya provides educational transitional support to rehabilitated street children, as well as providing support and awareness to children in prison to help them make good choices in their future. You can follow their blog here - Tumaini Kenya Blog, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.  

I don't know what it is, perhaps because their little faces remind me of my Ethiopian sister, but her work has struck a chord in me.

Now, all these years later, I have my answer to that immortal question - 'what's the worst that could happen?'.  Despite being hopelessly unfit, I've agreed to go on a 40km walk to raise money for a group of funny little children I've never met. 

I'll be joining Jen on 'Just Walk', which is a 40km trek across the South Downs, organised by 'Across the Divide'.  This is likely to utterly destroy me, but it's all for a good cause!

To sponsor me (please make it worthwhile!), visit the Tumaini Kenya 'Money Giving' page.  This is the main page for Tumaini Kenya donations, and is doubling as our team page.  Please state that you're sponsoring me (Charlotte) for 'Just Walk', so we can keep track of who's raised what.

I'll keep you up to date on my training, which so far consists of occasional walks around the school grounds where I work, and taking our boisterous puppy for a wander around the village.  The walk itself is on May 11th this year, so watch out for updates on how it goes!  That is if I survive... :)

All the best,

Charlotte

Update

There are new incentives to sponsor Jen Hanson, Nivraj Jassar, and myself!  Everyone who makes a donation of £5 or more, will be entered into a prize draw. The prizes are: Signed JLS perfume; signed Avril Lavigne perfume; a bottle of wine; a box a chocolates; and a fabulous £50 voucher for the cake shop, Dear Delicious in Gateshead.  Sponsor us at www.virginmoneygiving.com/TumainiKenya for a chance to win one of these great prizes.  Good luck!  Charlotte