Hi, thank you for visiting my personal fundraising page. On November 25th 2012 I will be doing the WUA WALK ("wua" means cow Thai), a sponsored 10km run in aid of the New Life Foundation's first annual Full Moon Fundraising Event, Mindful for the MOOn! This year the money raised will be used to buy and cover the initial outlay for a dairy cow. Her milk will be made into butter, cheese, and yoghurt, etc. to help further the foundation's goal to create an organic farm that will offer the New Life community nutritious food and become a learning center for all those interested in sharing innovative, large-scale, eco-friendly farming techniques. The event will be held on the 25th November 2012, close to Loi Krathong, Thailand's full moon festival, a time when many Thai people float candles on small banana leaf rafts to venerate the Buddha and symbolize the letting go of all one's resentments, anger, and harmful behaviors (or "unskillful states of mind"), in order to start life anew -- fitting for an organization that brings healing and mindfulness to those who suffer from addiction, depression, burnout, and stress. Based in Chiang Rai, Thailand, the New Life Foundation provides a unique learning environment based on mindfulness and sustainable living, where residents can learn to nurture and maintain their recovery. They help residents cultivate a lifestyle that fosters inner growth and helps them find meaning and purpose in life again. In the effort to make recovery accessible to everyone in need, New Life tries to keep fees to a minimum. With the help of volunteers from around the world, meditation, yoga, art therapy and various other programs are offered to residents at a very affordable price, so that money doesn't stand in the way of recovery. However, to continue working in this way, New Life depends on the generosity of people like you and me. You can learn more about this truly incredible organization by visiting the link to their page on the left or their website at www.newlifethaifoundation.com. To kick start the Wua Project a separate COW NOW fundraising drive raised 17,426 Thai Baht in just four days. However, in order to pay for the whole cow as well as a shed, fencing, hay, and any vet's fees, etc, New Life needs an additional 85,000 Thai Baht (about 1,720 GB Pounds). To help reach this target I have set a personal goal to raise 20,000 THB and would love it if you would join me in supporting New Life's work by giving whatever you can. If you would like to sponsor me you can make safe and secure donations through PayPal or by credit card (in Thai Baht) by clicking on the "Donate Now" icon above. Using this platform is really simple. Please feel free to also share my page with friends, voice encouragement, or even join me and get involved yourself! The proceeds of your support will immediately be sent to the New Life Foundation and used entirely to fund the Wua Project. (N.B. Any extra funds raised will be used to fund other parts of the New Life program but if you would prefer your donation to be reserved solely for this project, please indicate this in the comments section.) To make the donation maths easy 50GBP = approx. 2,470THB, 25 GBP = approx. 1235THB, and 5GBP = approx. 247THB. Remember that in Thailand even a small donation can go a long way so please dig deep and give what you can. Every little bit counts! Love and kindness from Chiang Rai, Rachel