Fundraising Update - It's Almost Here!

I am so happy to report that I have not only met, but exceeded my fundraising goal by nearly double! If you have donated already, you will be receiving a personal acknowledgment and thank you from me (if you haven't already). I am so grateful for, and touched by the incredible support you've all shown - in so many different ways.

When I found out that I'd exceeded the minimum, I asked whether the excess could help other participants who may be having trouble meeting their goals. The answer was an enthusiastic YES! So I set out to find out more about my fellow participants, and I'm writing this to share what I've learned with you.

Please, if you were considering donating but hadn't had a chance yet, don't let the fact that I've reached my goal stop you from still doing so! When you donate to me, you will now be helping them.

So with that, I'd like to tell you a little about four of the survivors that your donations would help support.

• They all come from rural areas and grew up in what are referred to as “townships”. Most of these townships have informal housing and people wait years before they are allocated a proper house. Many times the whole family lives in a 1-room building and shares everything – even beds!!
• None of them have access to fundraising tools and have limited access to technology, if any. They all come from very poor communities so it is very difficult for them to do fundraising.
• It is very important to have them on the ride as it makes a huge difference when they can talk to the crowds in their own language. In South Africa there are 8 African languages!

It is also very important to note that the median income in South Africa is the equivalent of about $3,800/year. That is not a typo. Compare that to the median income in the US of $48,000. The spread goes from $11,000 for the white population to just over $2,000 for blacks. Then consider that the fundraising goal is $3,000.

What really drove it home for me was when I discovered that for fundraising with the donated Revlon products, when asking for the equivalent of an $8 donation, they suggest putting a little money aside every week for a month or more. To save up to that $8. That is the magnitude of the challenge they are facing. I will go out on a limb and guess that none of you would ever have to consider putting a dollar or two aside a week to save up for an $8 donation.

So please take a moment to read a little about these four brave survivors, (my future lifelong friends) by clicking on their names, and consider making a donation that will help them meet their goals and enable them to spread the word of hope and survival through early detection to their fellow countrymen and women.

Link to donate through PayPal can be found right here on the sidebar of this here blog page -->>>

It's almost here! Stay tuned...

With love and gratitude,

Karen

 

Linah Sibeko

Hotel Worker
Ackeville, Witbank, Gauteng

Raynolda Makhutle
Speaks 8 languages, does community voluntary work for Cancer.vive and has in just the last year, spoken to over 5,000 people about the importance of early detection
Kagiso 2, Krugersdorp, Gauteng

Nokuthula Mtsweni
The “baby” in the group, only 25 years old, has a child and is currently unemployed
Witbank, Gauteng

Themba Matrose
Was only 13 years old when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. His dream is to become a male nurse. He currently works at a cheese factory, and is now 25 years old
Thembalethu, George, Western Cape