How many $10 donations does it take to raise $5,000?
It’s a question easily answered by Gurbaksh Dosanj, who for the last 10 years has gone door to door in Victoria raising money for the World Partnership Walk.
The longtime employee of the Fairmont Empress works as a dishwasher during the day, but in the evenings, beginning every March, can be found on any street in Victoria raising money for the World Partnership Walk. The average donation is $10.
“He goes home and logs onto the computer every night to update his donations,” said Naz Rayani, convener for the World Partnership Walk for the 14th year.
Dosanj is one of many Victorians that are helping to make a difference by raising donations through online or other sponsorship to assist developmental projects in Africa and Asia.
All funds generated by participants of the walk go directly to international development initiatives through the Aga Khan Foundation. The foundation has more than 25 years experience in finding lasting solutions to the challenges of global poverty and more than 200 projects in developing countries through the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
The walk started 24 years ago in Vancouver and is held in nine cities across Canada. In Victoria, the walk will be held this Sunday (May 25).
Last year the walk raised more than $70,000 in online pledges, and another $60,000 in corporate donations, bringing the overall total to $5.2 million raised. The walk attracts more than 38,000 participants across Canada.
“There is sympathy for the environment and for the poverty because more than half the world lives on less than $2 a day and this disparity is not acceptable to us. We need to do something and this walk gives us the opportunity,” said Rayani.
Walkers can register online or the day of the walk.
There is no registration fee and if a walker raises $100 they get a T-shirt and there is a chance to win a car.
“Anybody can join and walk with or without raising donations. It’s free, people should just come,” says Rayani.
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