One of the prime aims of the Mongol Rally is to raise money for various charities, with each vehicle entered to the rally required to raise at least £1,000 to be split between the two main charities laid down by the Mongol Rally organisers. The rally is hoping to raise at least £250,000 through this year's rally. In addition to the money going to the charities specified by the Mongol Rally, we are also hoping to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund.
Charities:
Send a Cow
Mercy Corps Mongolia
Army Benevolent Fund
What these charities are about:
Mercy Corps Mongolia
Mercy Corps Mongolia supports rural communities to meet their economic and social needs, helping individuals, families and communities to become more self-sufficient, diversified in their production, and better linked to local, regional and national markets. Over the past five years Mercy Corps Mongolia has established a strong reputation across the vast Gobi region, and continues to work with business associations and local organizations to ensure a robust economy that preserves ancient traditions.
Send a Cow
In East Africa 85 per cent of the people depend on small-scale farming to survive. Land is often scarce and native cows give only 1-2 litres of milk per day. Send a Cow provides families with a cross-bred cow whose milk yield is very high - up to 14 litres a day. Livestock provided by Send a Cow provide a lasting solution for desperately poor farmers in Africa, enabling them to combat malnutrition with protein-rich milk and earn an income from the sale of the surplus milk. Manure from cows and other livestock can also double and even treble milk yields, making a real difference to families dependent on tiny plots of exhausted soil for their living. They use their animals' manure to fertilise their small plots of often exhausted soil - many now harvest three or four times more than they used to. Families are able to improve their diets with milk, eggs, meat and honey, and sell the surplus to bring in desperately needed income. Many families invest some of this money in other money-earning ventures, such as more land and livestock or a small shop. Most use it to keep their children in school. Send a Cow are now working in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Lesotho.