Hello Friends and Family,
Well we hope you are looking forward to the wedding, its getting pretty close now. Final preparations are falling into place and we are both getting very excited about our big day.
You have probably opened this link expecting to find a selection of wedding gifts, and yes that was our original intention. However over the last few months we have both been reflecting on our current life in Manchester and been thinking about the path we wish to follow in the first few years of our marriage. We have come to the conclusion that its time for a bit of a change and decided that, at the end of the year / start of 2012 we wish to take a break from our life in Manchester to become volunteers for charity(s) in one or more developing countries. We have therefore decided that material gifts for the house or outdoor activities is not what we really require or wish for at this moment in time and that we would prefer a donation that will contribute towards are living costs whilst volunteering and also go towards much needed materials for the projects we will be working on, this being anything from books and pens to bricks and mortar.
We have looked into many opportunities all over the world, but found that our love for the mountains has been pulling us towards possible opportunities in the Himalayas. After a fair bit of research we have managed to find a small charity, Volunteer Society Nepal, that places volunteers in a variety of situations and environments across the country. It is a charity which is purely based in Nepal and thus benefits from not having costly overheads, such as overseas consultants, therefore placement and accomodation fees are very reasonable. We initially intend to arrange a one month placement working and living in a Himalayan village. After this month, if we feel that the work is rewarding and are satisfied that it is of benefit to the communities we will look to extend the placement (for anything up to six months).By extending the placements we will hopefully be able to make an impact as we get to know the community and develop a better understanding of there needs. If however we feel that we can be of better help elsewhere then we will seek other opportunities whilst out in the region. Please be assured that we will make every effort to ensure that any financial support you give is utilised as much as possible to help the people in this region have a better quality of life, whether this be spent at VSN or on projects at another charity.
If you wish to read more about VSN and its projects please visit
http://volunteersocietynepal.org/
So if you've read all of that and think that its a worthy cause and would like to provide a little financial support as a wedding gift then we would be most grateful. We were unable to set up a just giving or similar type fund as it will not be a UK charity that we will be working for, so please donate by cash or cheque and we will make sure it is put to good use.
We intend to make further posts on this blog in the next few months as we arrange the final details of our placements and travel plans. When we are in the himalayas we also intend to make further posts with pictures to show you how your kind generosity is being put to good work.
See you all on the 27th August if not before.
Love and Thanks
Matt and Lenka
