Vietnam Cycle Trip 2013

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!

In November I am taking part in a cycle trip in Vietnam to raise money for two charities: The Catalyst Foundation and The Go Vap Orphanage. We will cover 180 km (112 miles) over three days and will also have the opportunity to visit the charities. I am very much looking forward to this trip and meeting some of the children supported by these charities, although I know I am going to find it very tough both physically and emotionally!

The Catalyst Foundation

Supporting children and their families against human trafficking, this charity has already established a school offering hope and a new direction for children living and working on a huge rubbish dump in South Vietnam. This enourmous garbage dump has been the home for hundreds of families since fleeing the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the late 1970s. Traffikers target families living here and convince them to sell their children (particularly young girls). Parents often feel they have no choice as they struggle to feed other children and try to survive by sorting and selling rubbish. 

As well as providing a school that will see the first generation of boys and girls going on to secondary education, The Catalyst Foundation works to provide identity papers, proper housing, basic health care for children and pregnant women, vocational training for hundreds of teenagers and adults, family planning, counseling and community self-governing techniques. Find out more about their work here:

http://www.catalystfoundation.org

The Go Vap Orphanage

Based on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, this orphanage provides housing and support for over 200 children from new borns to young adults, many with serious physical and mental disabilities. Some of the children are terminally ill so the orphanage ensures that their days are filled with a lot of laughter and love. Now filled to maximum capacity, Go Vap is looking to expand to provide the children with more living space. They also need help for specialist treatments and essential supplies. Find out more about this orphanage here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-Vap-Orphanage/105704486170419

Your support!

With your help I am hoping to make a difference to the lives of these children. Any amount however small will be gratefully received!

Thanks again,

Katherine