Vernon Morning Star May 23/09

Although 21-year-old Rachel Moxham was raised in a small city, she has big dreams. The Armstrong resident has committed to cycle across Canada and raise funds for a charity that invests in primary education in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the world’s 10 poorest nations, and it’s estimated that 200,000 classrooms need to be built to provide access for the over three million children in Ethiopia that are currently out of school.

“I am cycling across Canada to raise awareness and $25,000 for imagine1day, a Vancouver-based organization focused at primary education in Ethiopia,” said Moxham.

“The $25,000 that I am raising will all go directly toward enhancing female education within imagine1day projects,” said Moxham. The imagine1day organization was established in 2005 in Vancouver and has been operating in Ethiopia since December 2007.
Sapna Dayal, executive director of imagine1day, said that the organization focuses its efforts on addressing the four pillars of education: access, efficiency, equity, and quality.

“Through our work children move out of open air make-shift classrooms and proudly take their seats in newly constructed schools made of locally sourced stones, cement, and other materials,” said Dayal.

“Rachel Moxham’s dream to cycle across Canada is connecting her passion to her imagine1day contribution,” said Dayal. “It is with the support and dedication of people like Rachel that imagine1day can continue to bring quality education to children around the world.”

Moxham graduated from Pleasant Valley Secondary School in 2006, and she is now working towards an education in sustainable development at a post-secondary school in North Vancouver.

“It is my life ambition to increase the female literacy rate of the developing world,” said Moxham. She will be starting her journey in Vancouver May 31 and hopes to arrive in Halifax by Aug. 15. The trip is a total of 6,251 km, and Moxham will be riding 110 km on average per day.

Moxham will be arriving in Armstrong, June 5 and will be hosting a table at the Armstrong Farmers Market June 6. She will be selling Blenz Coffee products to raise money towards her trip.

“I hope the people of Armstrong, Vernon and area, will come and see me at the Armstrong Farmers Market on Saturday, June 6 to buy the coffee and tea so that I may fulfill my cross-Canada trip,” said Moxham.

“I also believe that by cycling I am demonstrating to everyone the immense potential of a single individual, and that every individual has that same potential,” she said.

Donations towards Rachel’s trip can also be made directly to imagine1day.org under Creatribution-Rachel’s Bike Across Canada for Girls Education.

“The amount of support I’ve received is amazing,” said Moxham.

“When you’re passionate about what you are doing, people pick up on that, and it becomes kind of contagious.”

To find out how to approach your fundrasing needs, visit BlenzCares.com