BikeZambia-Supporting Education & Health

Lillian Seu is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hi friends,

This June 23/24, I am participating with my friends to ride bikes from Lusaka to Monze, Zambia (about 120 miles http://goo.gl/maps/8Mb7) to raise money for a Zambian organization that I have volunteered with and provide consulting support for: Sishemo Education Trust.

I am participating in the fundraising event as part of a larger initiative with my friends that are organizing the event http://bikezambia.org/about, and I have recruited 7 Zambians who live in the Makeni township outside town in Lusaka. Bike Zambia is raising money for 4 organizations listed on their website, 2 of which (CIDRZ community outreach and Sishemo Education Trust) I helped link up to this great fundraising event.

I am planning to donate all the funds to help Sishemo Education Trust due to their commitment to building capacity in both education and health. They are a Zambian-initiated, Zambian-run, Volunteer-based organization. Sishemo is Chilozzi for "Empathy", and has an amazing history as well as outlook. They have a community-based model of subsidizing the cost of education for orphans in the community: every 4 children that pays tuition pays for the portion of the 5th child who can't afford it. Every effort is made so that all students feel equal in every way- down to the shoes, books, uniforms, and the 3 meals provided daily. Please watch this youtube video I made to see more about this wonderful organization.

Bike Zambia's generous donation will allow for Sishemo to renovate their kitchen. I would like to use your contributions for the following:

60%: Funds to purchase consumables and small equipment to set up a small clinical laboratory outpost in their landplot in Ndalama Village in Chibombo district, Zambia. As a licensed biomedical scientific officer (Health Professionals Council of Zambia), I will be a Scientific Consultant in the Sishemo Health Prong and this money will help us set up a rudimentary phlebotomy station and collection station for dried-blood-spot cards for further diagnostic testing of infectious diseases. This resource will allow community members to access lab services in a faster and more reliable way. Our future plans are to bring in point-of-care mobile health devices (CD4 testing and HIV viral load) that are adapted to the rural outpost setting.

40%: Travel funds and lodging/food for the 7 Zambian riders (to the race start site and bus fare back). Although I am stopping at Monze, many of them are continuing through until Livingstone- 305 miles total. Any amount leftover will be used for seed money to start a Trade Center in John Liang compound, in Makeni township (where they live). World Bike Relief is providing bike donations for Zambians who can demonstrate longer-term community-based health and education programs.

Donate