Kidasha, the UK-registered charity that that supports severely disadvantaged children living in chronic poverty in Nepal, has launched ‘Kidasha Runs the World’, an international fundraising campaign.

Kidasha Runs the World, which launched on 24 September will, in the run up to Christmas, raise funds to help get children living on the street or in other crisis situations back to their families and into school or training. The charity is inviting people to share their experiences and spread the word about their activities on its Facebook and Twitterpages using the hashtag #KidashaRunstheWorld.

Already, many people in the UK and Nepal have organised and taken part in running, walking and other events in a huge collective effort to help Kidasha exceed its previous fundraising records. These include:

Barefoot Walk around Arlesey, Bedfordshire

Filmmaker Jodie Chillery recently visited some of Kidasha's projects in Nepal. When she got home, she relayed some of her stories to her four-year old son, Oliver. When Oliver learned that many children in Nepal have no shoes, the idea of a sponsored barefoot walk was born. 

So, in the morning of Sunday 25 September, Oliver, along with his parents and a group of friends set off on a barefoot walk to a family yoga class. Rain had left the road damp and several puddles had to be avoided before the group arrived at the Happy Little Yogi Class.

Jane Oppegaard, who runs the class, agreed to donate 25 percent of the day's takings from the walk, which, following the yoga session, continued around the village, ending at the local pub for well-earned refreshments.

Total sponsorship for Oliver’s barefoot walk is currently over £900 - and rising.

Ealing Half-Marathon

James Southon, brother of Kidasha’s Country Representative in Nepal took part in the Ealing Half-Marathon and his children, Oliver and Daniel, took part in the Moore Park Fun Run. So far the UK branch of the Southon family has raised almost £1,100.

In Nepal, over £1,500 has been raised through events and initiatives including:

TheBikeFarmNepal cycle event

Setting off at 6.00am from TheBikeFarmNepal’s shop in Na Lalitpur on Saturday 24 September were 13 cyclists. They covered 30 kilometres.

Kidasha team 50k cycle and half marathon run

Also cycling in support of the campaign were 21 cyclists and six runners led by Kidasha’s team. The cyclists rode 50 kilometres, while the runners completed a half marathon.

South Siders Basketball Club Slam Dunk

The South Siders Basketball Club in Lalitpur dedicated its Saturday 24 September training session to Kidasha Runs the World with a shooting competition, Slam against Child Exploitation! Young trainees at the club learned about street-involved children in Nepal and were encouraged to think about what they could do to help children on the street in their local areas.

Burger restaurant T-Burger, meanwhile, donated 20 per cent of its sales on Sunday 25 September to Kidasha Runs the World.

Just two days in, Kidasha Runs the World had raised over £3,700 in total.

Anyone anywhere can take part in a challenge of any kind. Kidasha will help fundraisers find running or walking events in their area and support those who organise their own event.

Funds raised by Kidasha can help children in Nepal in many different ways. For example:

•         £10 pays for food and temporary shelter for a street child
•         £30 buys school uniform, shoes and books for a slum child
•         £50 allows a child abuse victim to recover in a safe place
•        £100 enables a child in crisis to return home and go back to school

Janice Miller, CEO of Kidasha, said: “This is one of the most ambitious campaigns we’ve run. Already, we’ve been amazed at some of the great ideas our creative-minded supporters have come up with and we’re here to provide help and support to everyone who gets involved. We’ve set ourselves some high targets and want to encourage as many people as possible to help us achieve them.”

Kidasha wants to enable socially and economically excluded children to fulfil their potential by improving their wellbeing, supporting their development and reducing the impact of discrimination and social injustice. Its staff in the UK and Nepal work with local partners to build quality projects with lasting effects for children and families at grassroots level.

In 2015, Kidasha:

•         helped 2760 children receive the basics such as protection, shelter and healthcare
•         removed 269 children from the streets, labour or exploitative situations in Pokhara - almost half of them were reintegrated with their families
•         worked with 576 families in situations of chronic poverty within Pokhara
•         guided 6600 pregnant women and their born babies through safer and healthier pregnancies and deliveries

To get involved in Kidasha Runs the World, set up your Virgin Money Giving Page.

Like Kidasha on Facebook, follow them on Twitter

For more information about Kidasha and its work, visit www.kidasha.org.

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