A cynical old man approaches a young girl as she tosses beached starfish back into the ocean. Glancing up and down at the endless starfish upon the beach, his incredulity is evident, "You'll never make a difference for all these starfish."
She smiles wryly and says, "But to that one, I made all the difference."
... And as US Attorney General Robert Kennedy said, “Each time a man stands for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
OK, but what does this have to do with you? Let me help. I have chosen to support The Starfish Greatheart Foundation, a nonprofit organization in South Africa, by running Comrades in their honor. The Starfish Greatheart Foundation supports community based organizations that provide direct and timely support for rural communities that exist in the shadow of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. I am asking you for your support in this fundraising effort.
I'm running 90 kilometers from my home town, Pietermaritzburg, to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. I'm asking you to donate what you can afford to help me meet my fundraising goal of R5,000, a little over $600.
The Comrades Marathon is the oldest and largest ultramarathon in the world. Growing up, I volunteered for the aid stations along the route a dozen times. It gives me the chills thinking that I'll be lining up to do it in less than 3 months.
Please, take a moment to donate what you can afford. I'll love you for it, and no donation is too small:
http://tinyurl.com/ComradesMarathon
More information on The Starfish Foundation (from their website):
Sethani, based in a semi-rural tribal community in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, in KwaZulu Natal is an example of a typical Starfish supported CBO. Below briefly details the care that Sethani provides to the orphaned and vulnerable children in the community:
Physical needs: school uniforms, shoes, stationery, food parcels and toiletries. Children receive for example, their uniforms at the Centre where their family circumstances are known and records on each child are kept. Home visits are made and referrals done for grants. Food parcels are delivered directly to the homes of the families and needs are assessed at this time. Other needs such as blankets, clothing, housing repairs, visits to hospitals/clinics and sports gear are also met when the necessary funding/donations are available
Emotional needs: many children are struggling at school, neglected in their homes, hungry and uncared for, misplaced and grieving. A counselor is available to meet with these children and to refer them to the necessary agencies for professional services. The children are encouraged to come to the library, given opportunities to learn computer skills and are taken on fun outings. They also participate in Kidz Club, based at the Sethani Centre where they receive life skills, ministry and play sports. These children are known and recorded on the organisation?s database
Sports: Life skills are delivered around sports events - boys in particular are being kept active and away from getting into trouble through being active. A cricket team has been developed as well as a soccer team and even a „learn to swim? programme
Gardening: Grannies and child-headed households are encouraged to establish their own gardens and seeds are provided to those who need them. A water pipe has also been sponsored to enable some families to access water for their gardens
Peer Education: Sethani has partnered with Gold (Generation of Leaders Discovered) and has great faith in the fact that the future generation of youth will be making more responsible decisions as a result of behavioural change. This peer education programme is specifically designed to create an AIDS-free generation and to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Library/Resource Centre: Funded by the Oaktree Foundation in conjunction with Starfish, the Centre provides the only resource centre/library and computer training in the area.
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