Walk for Stuart

Friends of the b+c team are taking on a massive challenge this month. Isabel and Vanessa are heading off to walk the 788km of the Camino de Santiago trail in aid of the Stuart Mangan Appeal. 

Stuart, in april 2008, due to a simple rugby tackle was completely paralysed from the neck down. Stuart will require 24 hour care for the rest of their life. You can show your support for these two adventurers by giving generously to this extremely worthwhile cause by visiting here. They have already raised a staggering 4000 euros! Go girls!

Make sure you visit their blog to keep up to date on how they are progressing. It is bound to be full of hilarity and no doubt a lot of heartache. 

We wish them all the best on their journey and can't wait to see them back home safely!

world malaria day

Each 30 seconds, a child dies from malaria. Each of these deaths is avoidable. Join the world’s largest international effort to end malaria deaths. The countdown has begun.

25 April is a day of unified commemoration of the global effort to provide effective control of malaria around the world. This year's World Malaria Day marks a critical moment in time. The international malaria community has merely two years to meet the 2010 targets of delivering effective and affordable protection and treatment to all people at risk of malaria, as called for by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon.

The next two years present a rare window of opportunity to save a million lives by rapidly delivering malaria interventions - protective nets, diagnostic tests, antimalarial drugs and indoors spraying - to all people at risk of the disease and to pave the way towards virtually ending deaths by 2015.

You can read more at the Roll Back Malaria website here.

This is also an interesting and tragic story of Briton Harry Yirrel who was volunteering in Ghana.  For all of us fortunate enough to be travelling in endemic areas there could not be a more compelling and convincing reminder to take your malaria prophylactics...

leaving on a jet plane...

I'm off everyone... I arrive into Kisumu on Monday evening and then head off to spend Christmas with my Kenyan brothers and sisters at Rang'i. I'll then return to Kisumu via Katolo to meet Kirstin, Georgia and Harriet - just in time for New Years on the 30th.
Have a lovely Christmas break everyone - stay tuned for reports on the progress of Stage 1 in early January.
xx Amber

we're so excited...and we just can't hide it...

We're heading to Kenya soooooo soon! We've raised the cash, are finalising the masterplan and preparing for Stage 1 construction of the Secondary School for Girls which will kick off when we're in Katolo in January.

On Sunday at AfroFunk we met Sarah from Hands of Help who will be in Kenya in January too. Kisumu will be the party capital of Kenya on the 20th January when Barack Obama is inaugurated as President. We'll most likely be celebrating with locals at the Jomo Kenyatta stadium in Kisumu or creating a party of our own with anyone who might be in Kisumu too? Let us know if you will be near by!


Meanwhile, how cute are our gorgeous friends Toyi and Scorvel - we can't wait to see them!

sneak peek

The bricks + cartwheels team succesfully ran and finished the city2surf on the weekend. It was a great day and there will be more photos and stories to come. I just couldn't resist posting this as soon as possible. This photo was featured in the Sydney Morning Herald and shows 2 of our wonderful runners having a great time, running their hearts out. A final tally of funds raised and exciting snippets from our day will be up soon, so stay tuned.

The Life Cycle - ride from Perth to Sydney

6834kms later and they have arrived in Sydney! Joel, Jim + Lindsay's goal was to ride from Sydney to Perth and raise $10 000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service while also raising awareness about the health and environmental benefits of the bike - and they have done it!!

The trip has taken the boys from Perth, the far west coast of the continent, across the vast expanse of the Nullarbor plain to Adelaide, along the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne, and back up the east coast to Sydney. The boys traveled unassisted -carrying all their own supplies.

Well done to the guys, what a trip and what a worthy cause. bricks + cartwheels are always impressed and inspired when we see the dedication of young people such as this!

For more info and to read the boys blog visit here.

3 Weeks, 3 peaks - African Challenge

An apologetic member of the b+c team has been slow off the mark to blog this fabulous film.

The bricks+cartwheels girls went to the Sydney premiere of the 3 weeks, 3 peaks film a few weeks ago. It was an inspiring film that documented the determination of a small group of young women to raise awareness for Africa's peak issues - health, education and environment. The girls from Australia and America scaled three of Africa's highest peaks (Mount Kenya, Meru and Kilimanjaro) and raised over $385,000 for three local organisations in Kenya and Tanzania.

The girls were fortunate to have the Emmy Award winning cinematographer Michael Brown and a four person film-crew from Serac Adventure Films travelling with them. The result was a very honest and inspiring film that will further increase awareness for Africa's peak issues. Much to the girl's excitement - the film won Best adventure Film at The Boulder International Film Festival on Feb 17 and The People's Choice Award at the Flagstaff Mountain film Festival on March 9.

After the premiere, it was exciting to hear from our friend Brie Koch - a founding team member, that the project will continue - by supporting a new group of young women to complete the challenge in 2009. It is so important for great projects like 3 weeks, 3 peaks to become sustainable organisations. Great work girls! We continue to be inspired by people like you.