As the halfway mark has come and gone on my trip, I thought it was time for an update on Sole Purpose fundraising and donations.

Fundraising: Due to the generosity of friends and complete strangers, Sole Purpose has raised $661 to date. Of that, about $410 has been donated to the following three projects:

1. Questscope, Jordan:  Questscope is a non-profit in the Middle East that has several educational programs for dropouts and street children.

2. Video Show, Kenya: The video show was my first micro-lending project to help a few boys earn money for secondary school. After I left Kenya, I found out that it opened for business! I’m anxious to find out how they did during the World Cup.

3. Back to School Foundation, Malawi: The Back to School Foundation is a fantastic organization in Malawi, not only sending orphans to secondary school, but also providing free tutoring for students in the community. Not only is volunteering free, but it truly is a well-run organization that is changing many lives in Malawi.

Running: As most of you know by now, I had to take some time off from running due to an accident in Malawi. But I am now back in the saddle (is that how the phrase goes?) or maybe I should say back in my running shoes and gearing up for future runs. I completed the Rome Marathon in March and the Dead Sea Marathon in April. The Kigali Half-Marathon was a disaster. It started late, it was hot, and there was no water on the course due to lack of organization. I didn’t complete the race, but plan to make up for it in the near future. I have already looked into a couple of potential runs in Bangkok.

I was hoping to make another donation before I left Africa, but feel now more than ever that I should be personally involved with the organizations to which I donate. There have been more incidents unfolding at the project I volunteered for in Kenya, and I have been contacted not only by recent volunteers, but by their parents as well. It’s sad to see an organization with so much potential have so many problems. I think it is crucial to see firsthand how an organization operates to gain and maintain trust among those who have graciously donated and also for my own peace of mind.

How you can help!
As I’ve already said, with your help I’ve raised $661 but I’m confident we can make it $1000! It only takes 5 minutes and $5. I appreciate everyone’s support, not only financially, but also that nudge to get out and run :) If you have donated, and I haven’t passed along your donation yet, please hang tight! I have no doubts that I will find some wonderful organizations in Southeast Asia and am excited at the prospect of volunteering again.

Have you volunteered in Southeast Asia? Do you have recommendations for educational volunteer projects?If so, I’d love to hear about them!