I plan to participate in my first ever Triathlon on the 11th of May, and would like to use this as an opportunity to raise money for a community based charity in Nigeria close to my heart - CDLI ‘Community Development Links Initiative’, having visited their site many years ago and kept in close contact with them.

CDLI support orphans and widows within a sprawling and impoverished rural setting in one of the most densely populated cities in the world - Lagos, Nigeria with help from UK based Diasporans. CDLI have been around a long time and developed strong links with the UK charity African Care Trust. Many widows and orphans have benefitted from having the Charity around. Their concept is original and only one of the very few types of those charities in Nigeria that do what they do. Apart from supporting widows and orphans financially, they upskill them ensuring they are able to support themselves individually. One of those initiatives is the Summer School they run in August which help to accelerate the children’s education as unfortunately most will go to underfunded government schools with one or no parents struggling to bear the burden of getting them through the education system. The Summer camp better sets them up to pass their exams and progress to higher education or secure jobs.

More details can be found on their website. https://communitydevelopmentlinksinitiative.org/

Therefore every donation regardless of the amount will help.

The triathlon will take me just over 2 hours barring any injuries before or during the event. It will be a tough challenge and an achievement as an adult swimmer learner and novice bike sprinter, and my inability to give up desserts! My goal will be simply to complete the challenge. If am unable to complete the challenge for whatever reason, I will complete it at another time to make up.

It will involve a 400m pool swim, 26km of cycling and a 5km run. What fun!

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause.