Two people with Prescott and Russell connections are among the five Ottawa and area community leaders taking part in a cycling fundraiser to educate and empower girls and women in Tanzania.

Project TEMBO is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to supporting the education and empowerment of girls and women in Tanzania’s Longido District.

Casselman Mayor Geneviève Lajoie and Ottawa Centre Member of Provincial Parliament Joel Harden, who grew up in Vankleek Hill, are joining author David Chernashenko, influencer Katie Hession, diplomat Joel Downham, and TEMBO representative Nancy Arbogast are joining together to cycle 100 kilometres each, for a total of 500 km in honour of the 500 girls that Project TEMBO has sponsored and as a pledge to the next 500.

The TEMBO 500 charity challenge is set to take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024. The event aims to raise $20,000 to continue TEMBO’s impactful work in the region.

The TEMBO 500 event will kick off in Ashton, west of Ottawa, and conclude at the Byron Street Farmers’ Market in Ottawa’s Westboro area.

Supporters can meet the riders and learn more about TEMBO’s programs such as Girl Care, Primary and Secondary Success, and TEMBO English Camp at the TEMBO information booth to be set up at the Byron Street Farmers’ Market.

Everyone is invited to hold their own parallel fundraising efforts and events in honour of The TEMBO 500.

Parallel challenge participants can cycle, run, or walk on behalf of TEMBO, and are recommended to reach out to friends for personal peer-to-peer fundraising or other networks for larger third-party fundraising.

‘The TEMBO 500’ offers donors a chance to change the lives of girls and women in Tanzania.

Since 2004, TEMBO has supported over 500 girls to attend secondary school, providing academic support programs that equip them with the skills and confidence to thrive. However, with rising inflation and extreme drought, more girls in the Longido District are in need of support more than ever.

Education opens doors to financial stability, reduces the incidence of early marriage and pregnancy, and empowers women through literacy and skills training.

To donate or learn more, visit www.projectembo.org.