On Saturday 16th September MicroLoan Foundation’s community fundraising group are hosting a fundraising challenge with the aim of raising £15,000 for the charity. 

It will see participants take part in the Thames Path Walk, a 20km journey around West London’s riverside. It is going to be a great day, where supporters old and new can meet and get to know each other, learn more about the women the charity supports, and take in the scenery that the Thames Path offers. 

This is a free event but participants are asked to create a BT My Donate page to collect sponsorship to help the charity reach their fundraising goal.

All of the money raised from this challenge will go to MicroLoan Foundation. They provide loans and on-going training to some of poorest women in sub-Saharan Africa giving them the opportunity to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. 

This is the 2nd year the community fundraising group has organised this event and they are hoping to make this one even more successful than the last. Last year they raised nearly £15,000 to help MicroLoan support women like Loveness. 

Loveness took out loans to set up a market stall where she sold scones, bought from women in the village, and home-grown produce, farmed by her husband Daniel. This business helped them provide for their children and grandchildren meaning they were able to go from irregular meals to three stable meals a day. They are now on their way to setting up their own bakery so they can continue to provide greater opportunities for their family.

Mike Sell, Chair of MicroLoan’s Community Fundraising Group said: “This is the 2nd year that we has organised a Thames Path Walk challenge for MicroLoan.  It has become our annual “flagship” event and, last year, we managed to collect nearly £15,000 in sponsorship and donations.  This time, we are hoping to attract a lot more walkers, and make this year’s event bigger and better than the last.”

If you would like to get involved and help the charity in their mission to provide women in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe with the chance to work their way out of poverty you can register your place here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thames-path-challenge-in-aid-of-the-microloan-foundation-tickets-36311678207?utm_term=eventurl_text  if you can’t take part but would like to make a donation you can do so via the BT My Donate fundraising page.

Article supplied by Laliesha Ali