MRA Charity Fundraiser

Dear Friends and Family,

For those of you who are following our journal, or have been in touch through email, you probably realize that some of the people we have met along the way have impacted our lives in big ways. No example is truer than the people we met in Kilgoris, Kenya. It is on their behalf that we are writing this letter during the holiday season to ask for your support. Any amount would be appreciated, $5, $10, $50, $100 goes a long way in helping a lot of people Africa.

A few years ago, Sarah and her Kenyan colleagues founded a non-profit called the Medical Relief Alliance (MRA) - visit the Web site at www.MRA-Africa.org. It was her work with this organization that brought us to the small rural town of Kilgoris to meet some really inspiring individuals. Stella and her husband once led a very impoverished existence. Two years ago they found out about their HIV positive status. For many months after knowing their status they were in a severe depression and the future for their children (who have not contracted the disease) seemed very grim. A small group of hospital workers from their community pooled money together to give the family a small loan of $40.00. Stella used the funds to buy seeds and fertilizer and plant a small garden. She was advised on nutritious food sources by these same health workers. Sarah and I visited this garden which is rich with garlic, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, sunflowers and more. Then we visited her husband who was working at their fruit and vegetable stand in the market — it is by far one of the most successful local businesses in the town. Stella and Michael repaid their loan over a year ago and now have a successful business and healthy garden. The profits from the sale of the produce have enabled them to build a savings and secure a future for their children. You can see the pictures of Stella's family attached.

This is one example of two inspiring people whom we met, although we met many more. The health workers we mentioned have now organized as a group and have partnered with MRA. MRA is a volunteer organization, and has only small amounts of funding at the moment so we decided while we were in Kilgoris to make a personal donation to serve the community in a few different ways. Our funds went towards conducting three mobile HIV testing and counseling clinics in three different communities (the cost of testing and counseling 10 people is $25). We also set up three loan funds for groups living with HIV to borrow against to start small businesses so that they can raise their standard of living.

We wanted to share this story with you and to ask if you would be interested in making a donation of any size. To our family, we would actually prefer this than to receive gifts this holiday season. Nothing is too little, since as you can see, a little goes a long way.

$25 dollars will cover the cost of a mobile clinic to visit a rural community for a day to test for HIV and provide 30 minutes of counseling for up to 20 individuals.

$50 dollars will provide one additional loan to a family to start a small business. Once the loan is repaid the funds will be lent to a second family, and so on.

If $2,000 is raised, MRA's partner organization will conduct a 5-day training for 30 people in their community. This HIV/AIDS training will focus on prevention and will train participants how to provide health care in the home to community members who are no longer able to afford hospital services.

As MRA is a non-profit organization, your donation is tax deductible. You will receive a letter from the organization for filing purposes so please include your return address. Anyone who donates over $50 dollars will be mentioned in MRA's newsletter.

Please make checks out to Medical Relief Alliance

Send to:
Charles Walters
PO Box 3033
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163

OR follow the Paypal Donation Button below:

Thanks for taking time to read this letter!

Charles and Sarah