Friday, April 21, 2017

Biking for Burundi fundraising update

Wow, barely 4 weeks left before I head to Rwanda for 10 days (7 of which will be spent on the saddle of my bike pushing up and screaming down the steep hills)!!!  I just picked up my anti-malarial medications from the pharmacy, and tomorrow's weather looks good so I have a 60 mile training ride planned.

My fundraising goal has been $10,000 and to date I'm up to $7,295!!!  Here's something cool: the very first supporter is a friend of mine who donated $500 with a promise to double his donation if I reach $7,000 (not including his first donation).  That means I'm only $205 away from another $500 towards evangelism, development, and aid for Burundi!

Let's chip in to meet that threshold!!!  Here's the fundraising site:

https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Solutions in a Nation of Hunger

For the last few years Burundi has consistently been ranked the "Hungriest Country in the World" by the World Food Program. As one of the poorest countries in the world, 90-95% of Burundians spend less than $2 on food per day. Over 60% of the population is chronically malnourished and disease is rampant. After a decade long civil war Burundi has struggled to stabilize and rebuild, but there are people doing some amazing and inspirational work to help resolve hunger and bring economic development to this beautiful country.

When our family was in Burundi in 2014 we met Evariste, a Burundian man who is working to get high yielding Friesian milk cows into the hands of poor farmers and families. The traditional long horned Ankole cows of Burundi only produce about 1 liter of milk daily and require extensive grazing. Young children are often put in charge of grazing the cattle, which in turn, keeps the children out of school. But the more robust Friesian cows don't require grazing and can produce over 10 liters of milk daily. Over 400 Friesian cows have now been imported from Tanzania and families and villages are being revitalized. Read more about it on their website here and watch the video below

This is one of the programs your supporting when you donate towards my upcoming cycling "Tour du Burundi." 100% of your donation goes to support the development work in Burundi and is tax deductible. I'm paying my own way and my own expenses. Here's the donation page, it is quick and easy to donate: https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532

My departure is now only 7 weeks away and I would love to see your support!
Hank