Update 08-04-08

What is Slim for the Slums

Slim For The Slums is a fund-raising event designed to raise money to improve the living conditions of some of the poorest of the poor. This years Slim For The Slums commenced on the 8th January 2008, with the final weekly weigh in on the 29th April 2008. During this time, contestants commit to losing a minimum of 10% of body weight. Sponsorship will be sought either on the basis of % body weight lost, number of kilo's lost or achievement of a specific target weight. (nb. contestants whose Body Mass Index is below the recommended range will not be able to enter Slim For The Slums).

This years Slim For The Slums will focus on the reconstruction of the Riverside slum in the city of Bacolod on Negros Island in the Philippines. This reconstruction project has been made possible thanks to the help of two NGO's in the Philippines (Gawad Kalinga, and International Care Ministries), and through the generous and dedicated support of the local government of Bacolod City. Each house costs roughly USD $1500. There are more than 700 families currently living in the Riverside slum.

According to World Bank standards, people earning an income of less than USD $1 per person per day are considered the "Extreme Poor". Many of the people in the Riverside slum subsist on barely one sixth of this standard - with whole families (usually between 4 and 10 members) earning between PHP 1000 and PHP 3000 per month. As a result, many of these people cannot afford essentials that most people in other countries take for granted such as electricity, fresh drinking water, affordable medicines and a decent education. They live in makeshift shacks on bamboo stilts, their waste is disposed near the body of water where they acquire there food from, making malnutrition tuberculosis and other sickness and diseases part of day to day life.

How To Join or Contribute to Slim For The Slums

All are welcome to join Slim For The Slums. To join the event, and/or to obtain sponsorship forms, please contact the event organiser, Harry Turner at harry.turner@macquarie.com.

All of the money raised through this event will go directly to the slum reconstruction project. Every donor is very welcome to (and encouraged to) come to Bacolod city to see their money at work, and to personally help with the building program.

Tax receipts can be issued for donations made in Hong Kong, the United States of America, the Philippines and Australia.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Update 08-04-08

With just 3 more weigh in's to go, the race hot's up. Llew Jones approaches the leaders (David Gibb still in 1st, followed closely by Garth Leslie). Harry Turner and Craig Garret move in the wrong direction, and Samuel Leung, the recent bolter bounces back from his poor show last week.

Who will win???