Dutch Courage

It has come to the attention of SoVibrant that an amazing feat is taking place next year in aid of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and we are pledging our support.

Andy Dennis is aiming to raise £16,800 (or multiples thereof) for MSF in 2011. This figure represents the £1400 per month to put TWO volunteers in the field for one year. In order to achieve he is walking from Amsterdam to Barcelona (chosen as they are the HQ's of the two sections of MSF for whom he has worked). The Walk is a distance of around 2000 miles including a 400 mile section over the Alps and is expecting the journey to take around five and a half months.

Andy is a Staff Nurse on the Intensive Care Unit at Harrogate District Hospital. He is also a Field Nurse with Medecins Sans Frontieres. He has now worked on two operations with MSF. The first mission in 2005 was based in Displaced Persons camps in north of Uganda. The second in 2008 was involved in the setting up of health care clinics in the similarly volatile south of Sudan on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The populations of both regions are terrrorised by a rebel group called the “Lords Resistance Army” who have maimed, tortured, displaced or killed millions over a 20+ year period.

MSF is a non political, non religious medical organisation working in around 60 countries. Andy was attracted to work for MSF because of their independence and by the fact that they are usually the first to provide care for those suffering through conflict, epidemic and natural disaster.

Andy is funding all aspects of the walk himself and ALL money donated here goes to MSF. If you wish to know more about MSF, his adventure and how you can help please see the website : www.walka2b.co.uk If you wish to contact him or have any ideas about publicity or fundraising (including Corporate sponsorship by ethically sound companies) please use: den0172@hotmail.com. He is very happy to attend meetings to give talks about MSF and the walk.