Call to Alms ....Hitting The Trail

"Twenty-three years ago in a remote village, Ravai danda in Nepal a small pre-school and health post opened its doors to gongs, pipes and a lot of dancing. After the ceremony and hidden up to then, emerged a young mother holding a 10-day old baby who was all skin and bone, clearly dying. What to do?

It turned out the baby had dysphagia and couldn’t swallow let alone digest her mother’s milk. She was literally starving to death in her mother’s arms. The mother had walked nearly 1 day to reach our new little school and health post in this remote village. Another 2 days walk and we arrived with mother and child at Pokhara and ended up in the only hospital in town. After a minor US$140 surgical procedure, the baby began to feed and blossom, much to the relief of the new young mother.

Sangeeta is now a 23-year-old healthy, vivacious, confident young woman who knows little of how close she came to dying in the hills of a remote village in Nepal.

Being part of that, showed us just how much can be achieved with so little effort and how the lives of many can be saved and changed forever."  

Douglas Maclagan and Gordon Oldham, the joined co-founders of the Child Welfare Scheme (CWS), began their fund-raising efforts in 90s and it has been a privilege to see CWS grow and support so many. Since those early days CWS has been transforming the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children, young people and vulnerable individuals through the many services CWS offers.

The economical downturn worldwide had particularly been felt in a charity sector with a very clear financial crunch affecting our projects and services. As we navigate these challenging times, it is crucial that we bring attention to the vulnerable children, young people and women in Nepal who are now being pushed into the adult entertainment sector due to extreme circumstances. 

We have joined with Right4Children to undertake the PRAYASS (Protection from Risk and Assisting Young Girls and Women in Accessing Social Services) project to prevent human trafficking and assist survivors of this horrible trade. We are pleased to inform that all funds raised through this race will be directed to this project, thereby helping CWS' vital work in Nepal

It’s time that those who can, do, rather than just talk. Over the years, we have been raising funds for CWS by taking part in global ultramarathons in hot dry places. This November we are dusting off the trainers, slipping once again into lycra and taking on this year’s 250km marathon in Jordan supporting the much-needed programmes CWS offers the vulnerable. Please donate for our long-standing charity that has brought relief to so many delivering vital protection, health and education services. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Dear Donors and Supporters,

The Racing The Planet Jordan 2023 event has been postponed due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza which has made it unsafe and impractical for the organizers and the participants. We are incredibly appreciative of your generous donation to CWS in support of our project PRAYASS, which aims to prevent young girls from entering the Adult Entertainment Sector (AES), rescue and reintegrate underage girls working in AES, and assist those over the age of 18 who wish to leave the sector via alternative routes.

We understand that you made this donation in support of Douglas and Gordon's Racing The Planet Jordan Challenge, and we appreciate your support and enthusiasm. We want to assure you that Douglas and Gordon are still committed to completing their challenge for CWS. They are planning to take part in the race next year, if it is rescheduled, or to do a different challenge that is equally challenging and exciting. We will keep you updated on their progress and plans as soon as we have more information.

Thank you again for your generosity and understanding. We hope you are staying safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.