Hi everyone. If you could take a minute or two to read this I’d appreciate it.

I've decide that I’m going to try to do a little fundraising over the next few months to try and raise money for a cause I feel is really worthwhile.

I've chosen to help raise some money for ActionAid after-school kids clubs in Nepal. I’m working with ActionAid Ireland on this, as a good mate of mine works there, and I now know and trust that any money I raise will be diverted to the people who need it.

I’m going to be hosting a comedy night in Dublin’s Laughter Lounge on Thursday the 12^th of November [4-8 Eden Quay, O’Connell Bridge, Dublin 1; Doors: 7pm (Show: 8.30pm) (Free Cocktail between 7pm-7.30pm)]. I've managed to book this venue due to some great work from a couple of friends of mine at ActionAid Ireland - it's going to be a brilliant night! 

The idea is that if you’re free on Thursday the 12^th of November, and you’d like to help raise money for the after-school clubs in Nepal you can donate €25 to my justgiving account and then just PM me your address. I will transfer your info to ActionAid Ireland and they will post you out the tickets for the gig on the 12^th! €5 of the €25 goes to the venue but €20 will go directly to helping the after-school clubs. If you’re not in Dublin that night or can’t make it then please think about making a small donation to this very worthwhile cause anyway. You can’t put a price on education, but in developing countries like Nepal, a little money goes a long way to help improve the quality of these people’s lives. Thank for your time and support J

Now, if you have the time, here’s a little info on why I came to this decision. If I can inspire only one of you to do something similar then it will have been worthwhile.          

For the last couple of years I've wanted to travel to Nepal. There’s something about Nepal that really intrigues me and I've decided I want to make the trip.  I was originally only planning on doing the tourist thing but some incredible fundraising done by a few friends of mine at home and abroad in recent years has inspired me to try and do a bit more too. The world is a seriously messed up place at the moment and we’re the lucky ones. I don’t think anyone of my Facebook friends has to worry about where they’re going to get their next meal, or if a bomb is going to drop on their house during the night, or if they can’t even read some basic instructions on a medicine bottle.

So why have I chosen to fundraise for after school clubs for kids? Well, being a teacher I’m pretty interested in education and I understand, as I’m sure you all do too, of its importance, and the impact it can have on your life. Doors open with qualifications. In Nepal at the moment however many rural communities are not educating their young past primary school. Literacy rates in Nepal have risen in recent years showing that change is possible but many problems still exist. Poor management, relevance and cultural aspects are some of the critical issues.

The after school clubs help educate children on the importance of education and they help challenge the children’s ideas about what they consider ‘normal’ with regard to secondary education and child marriage (a common practice in Nepal). The best part in my opinion and what really fascinates me about these clubs is that they are run by the local Nepalese people themselves and the children play the most important role as young activists – spending their evenings going out to remote villages and farms trying to recruit more children to join their clubs.

So far ActionAid has formed 30 Children’s Clubs in Bara (region of Nepal) where more than 9,000 children are active members! The downstream and indirect benefits these clubs have had on the local people are incalculable.

If you'd like to read more about this worthwhile cause then please visit these pages:

http://www.actionaid.ie/stories/child-sponsor-turned-child-activist-bara-nepal

http://www.actionaid.ie/2014/09/ending-child-marriage-together-nepal

*N.B: If you want me to post out your ticket please write your address in the comments box as you donate, PM me on Facebook,  donate and collect the tickets at the door on the night, or just donate your desired amount to my justgiving page. As Tesco say - every little helps!

 Thanks for your support, John :)