Walk Their Walk

An acquaintance/friend of mine, Mark Ostreicher, president of Youth Specialties, posted recently about a San Diego area project that I am way excited about.

It's called "Walk Their Walk," and it's a partnership with World Vision to build a school in Zambia for children who currently walk twelve miles a day in order to attend school. Walk Their Walk is a chance for us as incredibly blessed Americans to do something about the unspeakable atrocities happening in Africa every day.

I have a lot of feelings--strong ones--about Africa (such as: if we were all generous, there are plenty of resources in the world to go around, so it is our responsibility to be generous; and if it were a bunch of white people over there dying of a lack of medicine and resources, we'd never let it happen). What I will say is this: this is your chance to walk their walk.

Marko's wife, Jeannie, and daughter, Liesl, are walking the twelve miles to build a school for kids in Zambia. For all I know, my kid, James, could be one of them (he's a World Vision child from Zambia too). I'm donating to Jeannie and Liesl for walking. I think you should too. Here's what they say:

Hey Everyone!

We’re going to join hundreds of other people and walk 12 miles on Sepetember 29, 2007. This distance represents an average daily walk to and from school in Zambia… for the lucky ones who get to go to school at all. We’re going to walk their walk. We’re honored to do this, and we ask that you join us by sponsoring our walk.

The goal of this year’s walk is to raise the money needed to build Siantete Basic School in the community of Twachiyanda, Zambia and to build a clean water well. These two items are foundational for the future of this impoverished, AIDS ravaged community.

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM LIESL: A year ago I helped the youth group at my church do a variety show to raise money for aids orphans in Africa. We raised enough money to build a whole health clinic. We weren’t expecting that much money. It was a really cool experience for me. It made me feel great to help like that, to be part of something so big. I think this will be the same kind of experience, and I’m excited to be part of it. Please sponsor me! Thanks.

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM JEANNIE: I’m grateful for the opportunity to participate in this walk of hope. I want to use my legs and my prayers and my energy to help provide justice and mercy where it is needed. And in Zambia, it is needed. So I will walk, and I invite you to join me in whatever way you can. Thank you.

(All gifts are tax deductible. Donating is simple and secure. Our partner, World Vision, will use these gifts to build Siantete Basic School and help provide fresh water in Zambia.)

Please consider clicking through to their page and making a donation.