|
We sometimes take those who are most dear to us
for granted - until something happens that makes us appreciate what we have. For
me, it was a car accident a few years ago. I ended up in hospital for a month;
and for another five months I had to wear a heavy plaster. It was a
difficult time for me, but I was fortunate enough to have the support and love
of my friends to get me through. I was very grateful and still cherish them.
However, I still yearned for the comfort and affection of my family.
Seeing “The Glass House” documentary, which
chronicles the lives of four young women in Omid’s care in Iran and finding out
about the hardship and traumas that they experienced provoked feelings of
sadness, anger and dismay in me, but I never even came close to imagining what
those young women had been through. Their childhood innocence and carefree
adolescence had been stolen from them by the people who should have loved them.
They had been exposed to the evils of drugs and sexual exploitation by the very
people who were supposed to keep them safe.
So I decided to do something by taking part in
this year’s adidas Women’s 5K Challenge as a way of raising funds for the Omid
Foundation, a charity registered in the UK, the US and Iran, supporting young
women and girls like the ones whose stories were featured in the “The
Glass House”.
I really feel passionate about the work that Omid does and even
though I have been strongly advised not to jog as a result of my accident, I am
going to join thousands of other women on this year’s adidas women’s 5K
Challenge in Hyde Park, London. I will part walk and part run and with
your help I can raise money to support the Foundation’s vital work. Please
sponsor me – every little bit will make a real difference to vulnerable girls’
and young women’s lives. Maybe you can join me next year? It is really fun
as well as being a great way of keeping fit. There are many such events that you
could join all over the world.
Mina Roshandeli
|
