An Aberdeen man is set to raise more than double his target of £5,000 for a local charity.
Alan Brown appealed to friends on Facebook after visiting Kenya for the third time in April earlier this year, through the The Gathimba Edwards Foundation, which is an Aberdeen-based charity that provides support for disadvantaged children and families across Kenya.
In a Facebook post, he said: “I was wondering if I could get 50 of my friends on Facebook to raise £100 each by Christmas”. After 2 hours, 21 people had signed up and 3 days later, 61 people had pledged to raise at least £3 a week for local charity Gathimba Edwards Foundation.
The support was so great, that Mr. Brown increased his aim of 50 people to 100, and on Thursday it was confirmed that the new target of 100 people had been reached.
Mr. Brown, from the Altens area of Aberdeen, said he was “overwhelmed” by the response.
Mr. Brown said: “There has been an amazing reaction, I can’t believe it. People are raising money in lots of different ways. Some are giving up their daily coffee, others are forgoing their trips to the nail salon or hairdresser.
“One friend organised a 24-hour sponsored silence and has raised over £300.
“Some people are running or cycling to work instead of driving, which will save them money and also keep them fit.
“We are now aiming to raise about £10,000, which will go towards building houses for locals. Each house costs about £2,500, so we should manage to build four houses which will make a huge difference to the local families.”
Mr. Brown, a retired hospital worker, first became involved with the Gathimba Edwards Foundation when he retired in 2015. He made his first trip to Kenya in April 2015, making visits to local schools, and climbing Mount Kenya.
Mr. Brown said: “Climbing Mount Kenya was tough. It is over three times the height of Ben Nevis. People were getting altitude sickness. But to see it for yourself was absolutely amazing, and totally worth it.”
While there, he met Karatina resident, Mary, her son John, and grandchildren Stanley and Oscar, who lived in some of the worst conditions the charity had ever encountered.
Mr. Brown generously donated £1,500, which enabled the foundation to build a house for the family. The house was named Archie’s House after Alan’s family dog who sadly passed away before the house was built.
He has returned to Kenya every spring since, and is also a regular helper at local fundraising events.
Mr. Brown said: “Being involved with the charity has been a really rewarding experience. It gives you a bit of a reality check, the people over there have absolutely nothing, so it really makes you appreciate what you have.
“It has changed my life. The charity does some absolutely amazing work. Anybody who gets involved says it has changed their life, and I would really recommend becoming a part of it.”
A spokesman from the charity could not be reached to comment.
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/GathimbaEdwardsFoundation/posts/1947960688816841:0 or to donate to the Gathimba Edwards Foundation go to http://gathimbaedwardsfoundation.org/donate-3/
