Active Events Walkabout
Active Events

Carolina’s Birthday Campaign

Dear friends,

The past few weeks have been difficult, uncertain and frightening for many of us. That’s why, this Mother’s Day, we feel it is more important than ever to give thanks for the hope, kindness and love that mothers bring into the world every day.

Last month, I visited our Walkabout Wheelchair Centre in Kenya, where we assemble and provide wheelchairs to people across the country, as well as offering rehabilitation to children with disabilities and training programmes to their carers.

In the majority of cases we see in Kenya, the main carer of a child with a disability is their (often single) mother, and I met many during my visit. As a mother of two myself, I was particularly struck by two things: firstly, the strength of the love that these mothers had for their children, despite their often incredibly difficult situation; and secondly, the multifaceted way that our centre is helping these mothers.

A wheelchair makes it easier for a mother to take her child out with her – meaning she no longer has to leave her child alone when going to work or to the shops. It also often means that a child can go to school for the first time – giving mum the time to get a job. The rehabilitation that the children receive often leads to great improvements in their condition, making their care easier. And, perhaps most importantly, the training and counselling programme offered to carers – which covers everything from physical exercises, to feeding, to understanding disability – gives mothers the tools they need to put their love into practice in the best way possible.

So, today, on a day to show our gratitude to mothers everywhere – and a day that also happens to be my birthday! – I ask you to celebrate with me in a special way. Let’s give more mothers, like those I met in Kenya, the possibilities that are opened up by giving mobility to their child.  Please, donate today!

Jack’s 4th Birthday

Jack received many presents for Chanukah and Christmas and has therefore decided that he doesn’t need any more toys for his birthday.

Instead, he has asked his friends to make a donation to one of the three charities. All three organisations are run by people we love, with missions close to our hearts.

Thank you for visiting his Walkabout page – he would love you to make a donation, no matter how big or small – and we all can’t thank you enough for your generosity.

Impact Overland

Impact Overland was founded by Kirk Williams, a C6 quadriplegic adventure photographer who loves to travel. Kirk broke his neck in 2009 mountain biking but has refused to sit still.

After realizing the freedom he could achieve through overlanding in a camper van, Kirk conjured the idea to drive from Santiago, Chile to Patagonia before working his way back north to Colombia. He will be taking photos and writing all along the way @Impact.Overland or www.ImpactOverland.com. Kirk will be driving his van while his brother rides a motorcycle.

Kirk has realized how fortunate he is to live in a country where this sort of opportunity is possible (even with a disability) and therefore wanted to make a positive impact and give back to people throughout his journey by partnering with the Walkabout Foundation.

The fundraising goal of $25,000 would be enough to send a container full of wheelchairs to somewhere of Kirk’s choosing in South America and make a significant difference in many people’s lives.

Walkabout Hero Winter Walk

On Saturday, December 7th, the Georgetown Retail and Luxury Association will be hosting and participating in the Walkabout Hero Winter Walk! Please help us by donating to an incredible charity, Walkabout Foundation, and if you are currently residing in the D.C. metropolitan area, join us in this Christmas themed walk from Georgetown University to the Lincoln Memorial and back!

Walkabout Foundation is committed to providing wheelchairs and rehabilitation to people in the developing world as well as funding research to find a cure for paralysis. Any donation is deeply appreciated.

Participation is free of cost, and donations are open to all regardless of attendance. Register and donate now!

 

The walk will commence at 12pm sharp and will be followed by a stand offering baked goods, coffee, and hot chocolate. Everyone is more than welcome to attend the finish line celebrations. We look forward to seeing you with your Santa hat and Christmassy attire!

Walkabout Kenya Team – Desert Wheel Race!

Dear friends,

Lucy, Peris, Carol and Sam from our Walkabout Kenya gang will be taking part in The Desert Wheel Race on 12th October (Peris and Sam) and The Desert Fashion Gala on the evening of 11th October (Carol and Lucy) in Isiolo County, Kenya. The Desert Wheel Race is a patented annual flagship event in Kenya, organized by NONDO, a Public Benefit Organization that advocates for the rights, inclusion and participation of persons with disability in Kenya.

Help them fundraise enough money to provide 10 wheelchairs for disabled children in a local rehabilitation school!

These guys know first-hand what it’s like to live with a disability. They work tirelessly at our Wheelchair Assembly Centre in Nanyuki to not only provide wheelchairs to people in need, but they also are an amazing example to the beneficiaries, fighting stigma attached to disability in Kenya and proving that if you’re differently-abled you can still do all the cool things!

“Disability is not inability and I believe in myself. I can do better and encourage other ladies with disability to have self-confidence and self-esteem when it comes to representing their talent in a congregation. Walkabout Foundation helped me to be independent, they encourage me to accept my condition, and give me ways to improve it – it’s not just mobility it’s possibility.” – says Carolyne, Wheelchair Assembler.

“This NONDO fashion show means a lot to me because I have never done this before, nor even thought that I would be able to stand in front of more than two people, it’s like a dream to me. I am so excited. Also I will be able to interact with other people living with disability and those who have lost hope, to show them that it’s not the end of the world. “Be Happy!”” – Lucy, Office Assistant at our Wheelchair Centre.

Help Lucy, Peris, Carol and Sam reach their target – Donate Today! Every penny counts!

Peris and Sam.

Carolyne and Lucy.

 

Lets Support a Wheelchair

The Jan Vikas Samiti (JVS) was established as the nodal social service wing of the Varanasi Province of the Indian Missionary Society in 1998 and registered under Societies Registration Act 1860. Since its inception JVS has been striving towards integral development of the marginalized and underprivileged sections of the society, particularly of women, children, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and persons with disabilities. Currently JVS is working with 70 partner organization for the inclusive development of children and youngsters with disabilities in North and North East India. Community mobilization and participatory development are the twin pillars of our social work activities. Yearly, JVS is supporting more than 6300 children and youth with disabilities. More than 1000 children required wheelchairs and other mobility aids for their activities of daily life. Your kind support will support them to be an active part of our society.

Visit us : https://janvikassamiti.org/

Isabella’s Kenya campaign

 

Dear friends, 

I am going to Kenya this summer with the Walkabout Foundation to help in the mission of providing wheelchairs and rehabilitation to those with mobility disabilities, helping to restore their freedom and independence.

As part of the Young Committee, I will be traveling to the Walkabout base in Kenya to assemble wheelchairs and provide them to the children and adults in need. 

I hope to make a difference in as many lives as possible and would love to fund ideally 20 wheelchairs.

£250 pays for a custom-fitted, locally repairable wheelchair for someone in need.

£15 pays for a pressure relief cushion, providing the necessary comfort and support to an individual with a spinal cord injury.

Every donation counts!

Thank you very much for supporting me in this fantastic cause.

Isabella 

 

 

What we will be doing in Kenya:

In Kenya, we will learn how to build a wheelchair. We will meet the recipient of the chair we have built and assess, measure, fit, and adjust their chair, as well as training them in how to use and maintain it.

We will visit one of the closest partners, the Metropolitan Sanctuary for Children with Disabilities, where rehabilitation and care are given to people with disabilities. At the center,  ‘Assistive Paper Technology (APT)’ devices are made for children with disabilities from local recycled materials. We will build the APT devices, made with glue, paper, and cardboard alongside Sanctuary staff. 

We will visit the home of a beneficiary who is unable to travel to the center to receive a wheelchair, and we will provide him/her with a chair. We will assist in creating a molded seating insert for a child with a complex disability (who would not otherwise be able to be seated in a standard wheelchair).

 

Ale’s Charity Campaign

Hey guys!

This summer I am lucky enough to be able to participate in a charity’s campaign programme organised by Walkabout Foundation in Kenya.

The aim of this charity is to improve the quality of life for people from young to older ages with mobility disabilities through the provision of wheelchairs and rehabilitation.

 

Each wheelchair costs £250. And so, through reaching my goal of £5,000 a total of at least 20 wheelchairs will be provided. This number is small but impactful as it can drastically improve or even save peoples lives- any wheelchair is better than none!

And so, I encourage you to be involved or donate in any way since not only will it be beneficial for these people in need, but also for you!

Thank you so much and I hope we can reach this worthwhile goal together.

Ale

$10,000 for 10,000 Mile Walkabout Expedition

Hello, my name is Mike Quine and I am hiker, photographer, philanthropist, positive attituder, gifted gabbist, and spinner of yarns.  In July of 2019, I will attempt a solo, calendar-year trek through the United States’ great scenic trails – Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail, which when coupled together, are known as the Triple Crown.  As of 2018 only five other intrepid hikers had completed this undertaking in a calendar year. To push the scales of human achievement an inch forward, I intend to complete the same endeavor, while tacking on an additional 1000 mile trail-less traverse through the Brooks Mountain Range in Alaska’s arctic circle within the same time period. To date, this 9000+ mile trek has never been completed, nor likely even ever conceived.

The general breakdown of the journey will be as follows:

Pacific Crest Trail:  Southbound – Late July to Late October 2019 (2,654 miles / 4,270 km)
-Appalachian Trail:  Southbound – Early November 2019 to Early March 2020 (2,184 miles / 3,515 km)
Continental Divide Trail:  Northound – Early March to late May/Early June 2020 (3,100 miles / 5,000 km)
Brooks Mountain Range Traverse:  Westbound – Early June to Late July 2020 (900-1000 miles)

By way of background, during the years 2013-2014, I completed my first year-long solo backpacking adventure through the backcountry of the U.S. National Parks – trekking through all of the National Parks in the Lower 48 States and three in Alaska.  (For more visit: www.thewalkaboutphotography.com /  www.thewalkaboutcollection.com or on Instagram @walknwander).  However, during this new “Walkabout,” I hope to put myself to purpose. Inspired by my mother’s selfless nurturing of countless children immobilized by cerbral palsy or senseless violence, this particular call of the wild has also become a call to service. This call was cemented after spending the last two years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and being witness to numberless disabled individuals without the means or access to mobilizing assistance. Thus, while managing this 9000+ mile boot-busting endeavor, I aim to join forces with The Walkabout Foundation to assist in their mission of restoring dignity, freedom and independence by providing wheelchairs and rehabilitation in the developing world and funding research to find a cure for paralysis.

To hammer this home, this trek will roughly amount to 30 miles a day, every day, for 365 days. To put that into perspective, that’s over an entire marathon, in the mountains, every single day, for a year. To say I will need your encouragement is an understatement. As my mind and body will certainly work against each other, your support to this cause will be a constant reminder to me of WHY I am doing this. Hiking for those who can’t.

Between $15, $250, and $1000, you could personally provide support to an individual in need by paying for a pressure relief cushion, an entire wheelchair, and/or an entire year of specialized rehabilitation, respectively.

Thank you to all who support this insane adventure. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to embark on such an injury-inducing, mind-opening, heart-filling, and enlightenment-seeking adventure. I encourage anyone who is willing and able to contribute to this organization’s mission, so that we can help to enable those who otherwise could not, hope to achieve similar opportunities.

Redburn Fundraising for Walkabout

Redburn is delighted to be supporting Walkabout Foundation as it’s Charity of the Year 2019/20.

Their mission is to restore dignity, freedom and independence for people with mobility disabilities, by funding research to find a cure for paralysis and providing wheelchairs and rehabilitation in the developing world.

Let’s help Walkabout change the world of mobility disabilities, one person, one wheelchair at a time!

Kim & Jan’s Desert Adventure

So.  If you have seen us during the past 6-12 months then you know (and we promise to shut up about it SOON(ish) so you can soon(ish) stop avoiding us…)

We’re doing Marathon des Sables. 250km over 7 days across the Saharan Desert – that translates to 6 marathons plus 10km …since they give us one rest day in between they require us to do 80+km on one day. We’re going to be tired. And very very hot. Bothered…?? We’ll get back to you on that one…

We leave on 5 April. AAAAAARGH! Here’s what you can do to help us (if you believe we can still be helped):

  1. We have set up a blog that we will aim to keep updated. There will be patchy reception and we can only send one email per day. If you want to know (more or less live) how we are here’s the link: https://kjmds.blogspot.com/ 
  2. We can RECEIVE as many encouragement emails as you can write. So please please please write to us. To encourage us (or remind us we are mad). Put Wednesday 10 April in your calendar now – that is the 80+km day. How to do it: go to www.marathondessables.com and then to ‘Ecrire aux Concurrents’ (Write to Competitors) and we are Jan Petzel (race number 550) and Kim Petzel (race number 551), part of UK contingent. This service is available from 9-14 April – please please, whenever you are particularly enjoying some wonderful comfortable aspect of your holiday, share it and gloat.
  3. If communication ain’t your thing [but curiosity is…] you can still track us – once again, hop on www.marathondessables.com and find #550 and #551. The link will go live on 7 April.
  4. Lastly, giving back.  You’ll be surprised to know we ain’t doing this for the tan…. We have wonderfully functioning bodies and legs we can rely on – there are many who aren’t so lucky.  Some by birth, some by tragic accident.  Life without the use of one’s legs presents challenges and frustrations none of us would even dare to imagine. Through Ella’s school we have come across a wonderful charity – the Walkabout Foundation – that offers funding for spinal cord injury research as well as providing purpose built (and easy to maintain bearing in mind terrain and facilities) wheelchairs.  Our fundraising page is here and if you do have a little bit of time, spend it on the website – it is not time wasted!

Right, on that note…gotta run!! 🙂

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR EMAILS OF ENCOURAGEMENT!

THANK YOU FOR HEARING US OUT OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS (and keep fingers and toes crossed we finish it this time otherwise you get to have another year of this chat from us!)

BIG HUGS AND KISSES ALL AROUND!

Jan & Kim

Tricky Quest Crew’s 2018 Challenge!

We are a group of sporty friends who want to give back to people less fortunate.

We have three tricky quests a year, each involving different types of physical challenges. Last year, we did a 10K mud obstacle course, competed in a 3 km Eaton swim and finally, a marathon in Bordeaux!

This year, we will be completing a 53 mile cycle called the Wriggle Hawker Hurricane event through Northamptonshire.

We hope to raise a minimum of £2,000 this year, to beat our total from last year!

Thank you for visiting our page, and for your support. Your donation will help us in supporting Walkabout’s mission of changing the world of mobility disabilities, one person, one wheelchair at a time.

Because it’s not just mobility, it’s possibility!