We discussed the idea of raising money for charity fairly early on in the piece – having a whale of a time while riding around the world is all well and good, however, as ‘Global Citizens’; people who are concerned for the preservation of the world and all the people, plants and animals in it, we knew there had to be something more.
We decided on Oxfam because of their vision, values and goals.
They promote sustainable practices, they challenge inequality and they truly make a difference by taking action to change the lives of people, especially those living in poverty. Oxfam promotes the conservation and rehabilitation of the environment in partnership with the people of this earth living prosperously and in equity.
Oxfam was also immediately familiar to us because of their excellent education campaign – not only do they acknowledge that education is necessary for change to occur in third world countries, but they are well aware that we all need to be educated – thus was born the ingenious idea at Christmas time to make donating to charity a viable and attractive alternative to gift-giving. This idea not only helps those in need, but challenges those who are giving and receiving ‘Oxfam Unwrapped’ gift cards to think about the state of the world and feel empowered to do something about it.
Oxfam’s charitable efforts are far reaching and powerful, educative and importantly, ongoing. They have funds and foot soldiers in a number of countries in East and South Asia, in Africa and in the Pacific (including Australia, of course) – we are hoping that this will make sure our fundraising campaign is appealing to people worldwide. Oxfam as a charity “seeks one overall outcome: to bring about positive change in the lives of people living in poverty”. Oxfam are passionate about making a difference for planet Earth and all its people and are at the forefront of educating and creating awareness in every community around the world.
The process was a rewarding one, after various emails and sharing of enthusiasm, I met face-to-face with a member of Oxfam’s fundraising staff and was blown away by the time and effort she was prepared to donate to our idea. Part of fundraising efforts for Oxfam are done through the carrier ‘everydayhero’, and are soon to be part of an umbrella website. A home-base page was created on our behalf and we have now finalised our everydayhero page where donating is as simple as clicking a button (and following a few prompts).
So, now that the link is up (on cyclingabout.com, facebook and twitter) and you can find out more if you’re intrigued – make sure you jump on this band wagon with us and help contribute to the mammoth effort that is done by Oxfam the whole world over. Donate now.
