When Tana Silverland cycles into Yorkton on August 17 she will have already pedalled over 7,500 km since leaving Whitehorse in June 2010, and she isn't even close to seeing Newfoundland yet. Silverland is crossing Canada for charity, but this is no ordinary fundraising ride, because, she says, "SOS Children's Villages is no ordinary charity."
Setting out with no previous experience, no support team and no personal funding for her journey, Silverland is entirely dependent on the kindness of strangers to help her through her epic two and one half year journey across the country in what she says is "anything but a straight line." "This journey is a real leap of faith," she says, "but I passionately believe that SOS Children's Villages is worth it; I hope that my dedication and commitment will demonstrate to people just how extraordinary I think the charity is."
SOS Children's Villages is an international charity that provides a secure, permanent family home and a mother's love to orphans and abandoned children in Canada and around the world.
Within each specially built SOS Village, every child receives the loving care of an extensively trained SOS parent within the secure environment of a family home with brothers and sisters. Natural siblings always remain together.
The combined support of each child's family and the entire SOS Children's Village community ensures that not only their basic needs for food, shelter, health, and education are met in a safe and caring environment, but that they also receive the love, respect, guidance and support that all children deserve and need to become healthy, happy and productive adults.
In addition to raising more than 78,000 children in its villages, details Silverland, SOS also strives to strengthen the communities in which it operates by constructing SOS schools, vocational training centres, health care facilities, and family counselling and social centres - all of which are estimated to directly benefit another 950,000 children and their families.
Silverland is, of course, asking people to make a donation to help the charity continue its work, but she admits that her plea for support is partly selfish: "Each time somebody makes a donation - however small - through my website, the website sends me an email, and it's those emails that really keep me going through all the rain, wind and hard work."
If you would like to follow her journey, or make a donation to SOS Children's Villages, visit: tanasilverland.wordpress.com.
