42 FOR THE FUTURE

“There is a part of us that is designed to help others. Find that part. Create some space for it in your life... I guarantee you, when you get to the end of your story, you’ll be glad you did.”- David Bussau Co-founder, Opportunity International

If you don't know me, my name is Jody Potter.  I'm an eighteen year old Rotary Exchange Student from Sydney, living in Denmark for a year. 

If you keep your food in a refrigerator, your clothes in a closet, if you have a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in, you are richer than 75% of the entire world’s population.  If you are reading this post, you are part of the 21% of people in the world to have access to internet.  Now, lets consider the other 5,509,253,362 people in the world, lets consider almost half of the world's population, living in poverty, that's over 3 billion people.  

The lives and families that we are born into are given to us by chance; it is not based on what we deserve, nor is it fair.  26,280,000 babies are born into poverty each year and will most likely keep this status for the rest of their lives.  Once living in this state, it can be extremely difficult (almost impossible) to get out of, due to lack of education, sickness from poor hygiene and nutrition, unemployment and the fact that these people have grown up seeing the older generations live in this way and know nothing else but this life.

Every human being on this planet, whether they are physically or mentally disabled, economically thriving or challenged, educated or uneducated, is equal.  Every human being has an equal value to the world and making it the way that it is.  Each year, the difference between the life quality of the privileged and underdeveloped societies becomes greater.

One week post struggling to complete a 3km run, I set my mind to completing a 22km run and succeeded! I'm a strong believer in mind power over physical ability and something that seemed almost impossible became achievable once I set my mind to it.  Shortly after completing my 22km run, I decided that I would run a marathon before returning to Australia.  For those of you unsure, a marathon is 42km.  A year on exchange is all about trying new things and taking up challenges- if running a marathon isn't a challenge, I don't know what is.  Not only is it mentally and physically draining but it takes months of constant training.  If building up the motivation to leave the house and go for a run is the most difficult part of my day, I will do this for those who don't fail to get out of bed each day and smile, despite the fact that today couldn't be much better than yesterday, and yesterday was spent searching through rubbish tips, eating food scraps, drinking polluted water and going to sleep on the ground, yet again without a shower.

After much research, I have decided to support a charity based in India, Indonesia and the Philippines called 'Opportunity'.  The organisation focuses on not only educating, housing and feeding people living in poverty, but also using 'microfinace'.  Through 'microfinance', 'Opportunity' focuses on the future, not only the 'here and now'.  Supplying people with a small loan and educating them on how to create small businesses and become finically independent.  

I have entered into the H.C. Andersen Full Marathon in Odense, Denmark, which I will be running on the 23rd of September 2012.  I don't know if I will ever feel ready but I will be putting a lot of time and effort into this project, there is no backing out now!  I will be going to India at the end of next year (2013-2014) for two to three months to volunteer and work with the young people that I am donating the money to.  I have chosen to volunteer in India because despite being the fourth largest economy in the world, India has the largest number of people living in poverty- a shocking 900 million!  Approximately 80% of India's population live on less than US$2 per day.  India is home to the largest amount of hungry people in the world, almost 200 million people.

You don't need to know me to have a connection to these people or understand what I am doing.  Support and a donation from anyone, anywhere in the world is most welcome!  My aim is to raise AUS $10,000 in the next month before I run! Please also send this link to as many people as you can, spread the word of this project:  http://jodypotter.blogspot.dk/

In the time that it has taken you to read this, 250 children were just born into poverty, 100 children just died from disease, 43 just died from hunger and 38 children just died from water-born illness due to unclean water supplies.  Let's make a difference.  If you donate, your name will be placed on this blog as a sign of appreciation for your support, whether it be big or small.  If you believe in anything that I have said above, if I have changed your views in any way, if I have provoked thought, if you could never imagine yourself running a marathon, if you know you couldn't survive living in a slum or if you have eaten at least one meal today, please donate!

All donations will go to 'Opportunity'.  You can read more about the organisation here:  http://opportunity.org.au/

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