The idea for NZ North to South was born from pure longing of adventure. It was not a “for charity” idea. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that it was a great oppurtunity to raise awareness (and hopefully funds) for some causes I’ve been involved with the last couple of years. Fundraising is new for me, so i’m still working out the best way to about it. For now the easiest way is to do it through PayPal, although they do take their commission. If anyone has any tips or advice then I’m all ears…

Some people who do these kind of trips take a proportion of funds raised to cover their expenses. Due to me being in the position to fund myself, I’m not going to do that. 100% of your donated money will go to the causes below (minus the PayPal bit).

Update – I now have opened a couple of accounts with KiwiBank. One of these is solely for incoming donations, seperate from my spending account. The account number for the donation account is 38-9012-0360194-01, and the account name is M I WITHEY

It is likely that the average person has not heard of any of the below organisations, but I can assure you that they are extremely worthwhile. They represent a wide range of issues that need addressing.

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Bruno Manser Fonds – I encountered this Swiss NGO while staying with the indigenous Penan in the Borneo rainforest. This tribe’s way of life, and the land they live in, is under constant threat from commercial logging and the palm-oil industry. Founded by a Swiss activist, Bruno Manser, the BMF campaign for the rights of the Penan and assist in local projects.

More details here

How you can donate to Bruno Manser Fonds.

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Wildlife Conservation Society – Cambodia – In early 2011 I spent 5 months volunteering for the WCS at their Seima Protection Forest project. I led a survey in this unique forest on how poachers use snares to hunt wildlife. As well as collecting data, we dismantled any snares we came across. This forest is a refuge for endangered wildlife and on-going conservation work is required to ensure its survival.

More details here…

How you can donate to WCS Cambodia

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Friends International, Phnom Penh – Friends operate a centre for Cambodian street children and their families. As well as acting as a refuge for the kids, they provide educational opportunities and vocational job training through their many workshops. The cycle of poverty is broken by empowering the families through employment. It’s all about building futures.

More details here…

How you can donate to Friends International

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You can also donate to a fund that’ll be split equally between the organisations at the end of the walk.

How you can donate to all three

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Donations so far:

Andy Speller – £50
Billy – NZ$20
Matt Harvey – NZ$10

Dominique Withey £200 (Friends International)