Those of you who visit this blog on a regular basis will know that in April I am running the London Marathon for Christian Aid. Each Monday I am writing a post about how my training is going.
But what do Christian Aid do? Christian Aid are involved in lots of projects across the world. Their aim is that we might all be able to live life to the full, free from poverty. In this time of recession we have heard a lot of negative responses to the value of third world aid - how it all ends up in the wrong hands, how it makes communities dependant on 'the west' etc etc. Over the next few weeks, through a number of videos, hopefully we will see how the work of Christian Aid and its partners on the ground in some of the poorest communities really are able to make a difference.
Every penny that we raise together really does make a difference. As we will see, a lot of what Christian Aid do is not about providing with people with aid in the form of food or medicines - but rather it is about giving them a helping hand so that they are then able to go on and work their own way out of poverty.
So, for example, £6.50 is all it costs to provide a large and small hoe, and a large and small farming knife - s set of basic tools that will allow communities in rural Sierra Leone to farm the land and grow crops. £24 can buy an energy efficient stove for a family in Tajikistan. This cuts fuel consumption - and therefore energy bills. It also cuts unhealthy smoke fumes - leading to improved health. With less being spent on fuel and medicines families are free to make choices about sending children to school etc.
If you would like to sponsor me to run the marathon then please visit my sponsorship page at www.virginmoneygiving.com/keithtarring
This video highlights another aspect of the work of Christian Aid - putting pressure on governments to ensure fairness where current systems favour the well off at the expense of the poor.
