The winds of Hope balloon was generously donated by Ultramagic Balloons, Spain (www.ultramagic.com). It is used to help raise public awareness and funds for the cause.
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The Winds of Hope foundation was set up following the Breitling Orbiter 3 success with the one million dollars offered by Anheuser Busch as part of the Budweiser Prize for the first flight around the world by balloon.
When Bertrand and I were flying over Africa, we were captivated by the beauty of the landscape below us. Then we were struck by the paradox, "how can the magnificence of this part of the planet be home to some of the worst misery imaginable?" We simply could not accept the rewards and adulation which came with success without revisiting the perverse inequality that allows us to realise a dream whilst unwittingly overflying children dying needlessly.
Our desire to help has evolved in the time since the flight into a determination to rid the world of one of the most shocking diseases I have ever seen. It is Noma - a disease which kills 80% of it's young 100,000 victims each year. A gangrene-like effect which starts in a child's mouth and within a very few weeks can completely destroy the facial tissue causing a huge hole to appear where previously there had been a cheek, nose or eye. If the child is "lucky" enough to survive, he or she will face a multitude of surgical procedures if discovered by a charitable organisation. Or will be hidden from view in their own village for fear of demonstrating the curse, through their hideously disfigured face, which the family believe to have been inflicted upon them.
Had that child been diagnosed in the early stages, the disease could have been stopped dead in it's tracks by the use of antiseptic mouthwash or simple antibiotics.
Winds of Hope, together with the WHO and local NGO's, have effected a programme of prevention in Niger by training over 2,000 health workers to look for the early signs of this disease, and treat accordingly.
Having set up this prevention programme in Niger, we are now working in Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Togo and Senegal to do the same. Our plan is then to progress to other countries where noma is prevalent, and hope to eventually achieve the eradication of this terrible and unecessary scourge.
All donations will be acknowledged by post, we guarantee that 100% of your gift will fund the fight against noma, there is no deduction for administration. Thank you.
If you would care to make a donation, you may do so at: www.windsofhope.org
Other philanthropic effort:
Little Dreams.
One of the most gratifying rewards of the success of the Breitling Orbiter 3 has been the opportunity to meet extraordinary people, the kind that one holds in such high esteem that it is a rare priviledge to meet them. Two such people are Phil and Orianne Collins. Despite being a musical superstar, Phil remains approachable and friendly. Together with Orianne, they have formed a foundation called Little Dreams which aims to give children with ambition an early break on the road to realising their dreams. I am proud to be associated with this foundation and urge you to take a look at www.littledreamsfoundation.com
St Peter's Hospice.
The hospice movement in Britain does wonderful, caring work with the terminally ill and their families. It was St Peter's hospice in Bristol which helped to provide family support when my own mother died. I am delighted therefore to support their fundraising efforts and promote their cause at every opportunity. See www.stpetershospice.org
