Monday, December 1

Decision

If you haven't heard already, we have decided what to do for our trip. It has changed significantly since my earlier brainstorming.

I recently read The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam (if you haven't read it, start now!). After reading it I started to do more research online about human trafficking, Cambodia (where Somaly is from), and what Somaly's foundation is all about. Over 1 million young women and children are sold into slavery every year. Somaly's foundation rescues them and helps rehibilitate them back into society. It is a topic that has always called out to me since my Women's Studies class in college. It didn't take long for me to find out about a fundraiser going on right now for the foundation. I knew I wanted to help.

That was when we decided what to do for our vacation...except now it isn't our vacation, it is really my trip. Bill was generous enough to sacrifice our family trip for me to do my little thing. He figured since he should be focusing on school anyway that it worked out for the best. So now I'm going to Cambodia to do a 300 mile bike ride through the country to help raise money for The Somaly Mam Foundation.

So here is the deal...Bill and I are taking the money we would have spent on the vacation and using it to pay my way, and then donating the rest. However, I will still need to raise additional funds for the foundation. This is something I feel strongly about, so I'm trying to raise as much as possible. Take a look around the website and/or read the book yourself, and please consider donating. To donate go to http://www.somaly.org/futures09/riders/bio.php?rider=Rebecca_Weidner

6 comments:

janaya said...

... or i hear cambodia is cool too... :)

that is really really ridiculously awesome. i'm jealous and impressed and a little in awe that you're doing this. very cool. and thanks for the book suggestion. i'm all over it. (woah... two comments in one day...)

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adventure knitter said...

wow, i'm quite impressed that you're doing this becca!! good luck.

Amy said...

Becca - I am so excited for you and very honored to be your first official sponsor! (And don't worry, I won't expect you to put my name on your biking gear!)

Like you, I've been haunted by that book since reading it and am soooooo grateful that you chose it.

I wish you all the best luck as you prepare for this great trip!

Arin said...

I need to read the book...even though I am the official book club slacker...I need to see what everyone's been talking about!!!

Congrats to you on your big adventure!

Natalie said...

So Becca, does this now mean I need to do something really big besides just pick a book for bookclub?:) Vicky went to Scotland, now you're going to Cambodia. Hmmm, maybe I'll pick a book set in Hawaii.

Great idea, by the way. You are the perfect person for the job. You are a 100 percenter. Good luck, and thanks for choosing that book. Even though I missed the book club, I read the book, and can't stop thinking about it. Great book. Burn some biking calories for me, will ya?