It's important to live life to its fullest. So I've created this blog to keep track of "my list" and blog about my personal adventures - as trivial or as extravagant as they may be! Inevitably, the list will continue to grow as I think of crazy things I'd like to do. I plan to document it along the way, camera by my side, and hope you'll join me in enjoying the (small and big) adventures in life!


Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Countdown Continues: Running Towards Tanzania

Just a few short months ago, I received notice that my Projectline International Volunteer Travel Grant proposal had won me the opportunity to travel half way around the globe to a small village in northern Tanzania. Check out the article here. Needless to say, I was a little more than excited (flashback to me jumping up and down).

Since then, I’ve been busy with preparations. Preparing to travel half way around the world takes a bit of work. Gathering information for visas, lining up work permits, sorting out program fees and vaccinations, booking a five-stop-34-hour-one-way airline ticket, lining up a home for my obese feline-companion Rainbow (thanks, Dad!), and oh yeah… literally running like a crazy person to raise money and donations while training for my very first full marathon (yes, that’s 26.2 miles)! At over 400 miles of total training, you could say that these adorable kids at the Tamiha Orphanage  have definitely inspired me to keep pushing myself along this whole journey.

With the marathon  quickly approaching— June 23rd (reposting this blog a little late)—one journey will come to an end (hopefully with smiles across a finish line) just as another begins (with a trip to the other side of the globe) at the beginning of July!

It’s not too late to make an impact yourself! Here are three quick things you can do to impact the lives of these children and women in need:
  1. Share my story with friends!
  2. Donations on the Hitting the Pavement for Tanzania  fundraising website have closed - with nearly $2,000 raised! But you can still donate directly on the Tamiha website. What exactly will these donations do? $20 pays for an overnight stay at the local clinic, $150 provides 18 women who have HIV and their children enough food and cooking oil for one month, $470 will sponsor a child for one year to attend school (tuition, food, medicine, clothes, etc). I am personally delivering donations to the Tamiha Orphanage on my trip. This includes:
    • Food (power bars, protein powder, non-perishables, etc)
    • Vitamins and basic medication
    • School supplies
If you need a little extra inspiration, here’s a video from a past volunteer to give you an idea of what I’m in for! Nothing like some smiling faces to brighten your day.

Whether you want to donate to the orphanage or just want to connect about your own experiences with volunteering, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a note here or find me on Twitter @thejessiemorris.

To read the original blog post on the Projectline Services Inc. blog, click here.

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