So, as many of you already know, I am going to Tanzania in January of 2011. I am currently studying Social Work at Camosun College in Victoria B.C, and am using the period of time between 2nd and 3rd year to take on this wonderful opportunity.
I am working with an organization called Youth Challenge International - http://www.yci.org/
I have decided I must start blogging about this adventure. There are so many people already on board and I just don't have the opportunity to talk to each supporter along the way, so this is the alternative.
So here are some of the areas I am currently focusing on for this trip to become a success
1. Fundraising
For me, this is the most difficult part of the adventure. I understand how important the development issues are in Sub Saharan Africa are, after all I took a Geography course highlighting these issues and have done countless hours of reading about Tanzania. That is my passion, but it is difficult for me to expect my passion to be yours. With that said, I have been able to jump out of yet another comfort zone and push for donations. I have already received individual donations totalling $1050!!
Although individual support is necessary for the project to move forward, I needed to come up with a major sponsor to help me reach the goal of $3700. This was found within the Union movement. CUPE, on the local, district council, and provincial level were all able to contribute to this cause. The total amount donated from CUPE is $1200 dollars!! This brings the grand total to $2250. Thats 60% of the way there!!
Moving forward, I have $1450 to go! I hope to achieve that with more individual donations, and will be hosting an event at the Victoria Curling Club this November 20th. I will quickly give an overview of the event. I am currently soliciting businesses in the community to donate a wide range of items to put up in a silent auction. The silent auction will be the area where donations will be collected, as the curling club gets the money from hosting the bar. There will be music, games, prizes, 50/50 draws, and a lot of information on the development issues ongoing in Tanzania and Sub Saharan Africa. I don't want to give away all the surprises of the night, but there has been a lot of planning going into it, and all involved hope to run a successful night.
Tickets for the event can be purchased by contacting me directly by email (trevorthame@hotmail.com), facebook, or by phone at 250-857-7146.
We have yet to determine ticket prices, but in the next week or so will have a set price. The money off ticket sales will cover hall rental, food, and entertainment costs.
A link to my fundraising page is found here -
The next area I am dealing with is the health aspect of going to Africa. I am going to have to get a variety of shots and medications before I am able to go.
The necessary shots include, Yellow Fever, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid Fever, Measles, Tetanus/Diphtheria, Rabies, as well as taking 1-2 courses of broad-spectrum antibiotics. OUCH!!
Aside form the shots, I will be taking medications to ensure I will not get Malaria when I am there. (Malarial Prophylaxis)
Travel
I have begun looking into how exactly I am going to get there! Nothing is booked yet, but in the next week or so, I will be putting the final touches on travel arrangements. It is looking like I will fly out to Amsterdam on the 18th of January. After a layover of upwards of 20 hours (I requested the longer layover so I can have some fun), I will fly to Nairobi, Kenya. I will not get to explore so much there, and will take the final leg of the journey in the form of an hour and a half flight to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. A full two, if not three days of traveling to arrive, but then I will be greeted by members of Youth Challenge International to take me to my new home!
Visa Requirements
I am working closely with Youth Challenge International, and checking in with the Canadian Government to ensure all Visa applications and requirements are done correctly before leaving!
The Next Step ~
Developing Courage
This is a huge experience for me I am so fortunate to have so many people in my corner, but I am still working on being brave enough to take on this challenge. There are so many unknowns I will experience throughout this adventure, and, well, I guess I will rely on this blog to explain them and work through them as I go.
I am looking forward to the event November 20th, so that I get to see so many supportive faces in one room. The energy will be amazing!!!
Please leave comments on here so that I can make improvements along the way!
Love,
Trevor Thame
