The ice bucket challenge seems all set to be the charity craze of the Summer. In my opinion, any activity which raises awareness of a charity and encourages people to investigate and donate to their own selected worthy cause must be valid.
I have chosen to give my donation to Friends of Alalay. Many thousands of children in Bolivia live on the streets in drainage canals filled with dirty water, unable to access any clean water for washing or drinking. Alalay works with these same children and young people, getting them off the streets, into safe housing and offering them education, food, clothing, and love, something for which they all yearn.
If you would like to donate to the work of Friends of Alalay at any point during the year, it is easy to do so —- just send a text saying ALAL01 £ followed by the amount you wish to donate to 70070 (e.g. ALAL01 £5).
P.S. The name ALALAY (chosen by the street children themselves) means “I am cold” in the local indigenous Aymaran language… and throwing a bucket of icy water over you is pretty cold.. I can testify to that (see photo above – I’m being soaked on the right)!
