Sahaya Walks is an annual educational & fundraising family event that provides an opportunity for people of all ages –young and old- to make a difference in the lives of children and youth in India and Uganda who are living with HIV, by providing health-care, education, shelter and food. Many of these children are also orphans. 100% of the proceeds of Sahaya Walks will go towards the care of these children and youth.
Many of the HIV-affected orphans in Uganda were affected last year by storms and floodings. We have been doing our best with providing them with housing (click here to read that story). 

This year is the 17th annual edition of this event! The theme of this year is "Renewed Hope". 
Registration is FREE.

Just like in previous years, this year's Sahaya Walks consists of 2 events:

• On Saturday October 28, at 4 pm PDT, we will have an online program with speakers and entertainment.
• On Sunday October 29, from 1 to 4 pm PDT, we have an outdoor social gathering & potluck at a local park in Davis with optional short walk. Enjoy snacks, refreshments and games. 
• Even if you are not in the Davis area or are not able to come on October 29, we encourage you to walk or do another physical activity in honor of these children by walking at your own time.

What will your impact be? Take action:

A. REGISTER NOW - FREE!

Click the "Register or donate" button at the top of this page to get started. Registration is FREE. A single registration gives you access to both events. You are welcome to attend one or both events.
The benefits of registering are:

• Access to online event (Saturday Oct. 28, at 4 pm pacific time):
  • If you register (which is free), you will receive by e-mail a receipt and a calendar invite with the link to participate in our October 28 online Zoom meeting.
  • The program will have short presentations, stories and entertainment, including updates on some of our partner organizations in India and Africa. Several of our partners will be able to join the zoom call, and are available for informal chat at the end.
  • Door prizes: You will be entered in "door prize" raffles, that will take place during the online event.
  • Send a personal message: You are invited to send us a short video with personal message that we will combine and show at the event. It can be a greeting to the kids, or a message of hope, or a short poem. You clip can be short; please limit it to max 30 seconds. We will share it also with the children and youth in India and Africa. Send the short clip to Sahaya founder Koen at [email protected], or contact him to discuss easiest ways to transfer the file.
• Invitation to the social gathering on Sunday October 29 ( from 1 to 4 pm)  in Davis. Information on the exact location will be provided to all registrants closer to the event. This will be a family-oriented event for people of all ages, with games and fun activities, in a public location in Davis. 
• Access to fundraising tools: While this is optional, we would be extremely grateful if you can create a fundraising page and help to raise funds from your friends and relatives to help the children and youth affected by HIV in India and Uganda.

B. MAKE A DONATION
Click the "Register or donate" button above to make a donation towards the event, or you can select any of the participants or teams listed below and donate to their fundraising page. If you create a fundraising page, you can donate to your own page.
If you donate online, and provide your e-mail address, you will also receive an invitation to join the 2 events.

Please note: As Sahaya International is a 501(c)3 organization, all donations are tax-deductible according to standard IRS regulations.
Alternatively, instead of donating online, you can mail a check, payable to "Sahaya International" with mention "Sahaya Walks" to,

Sahaya International
1504 Portola Street
Davis, CA 95616

C. RAISE FUNDS

PLEASE NOTE: Fundraising pages remain active until January 20, 2024. In other words, you can continue to solicit donations or make a donation to any of the existing pages.

After registration, you can create easily a fundraising web page and e-mail the link to your relatives and friends. It only takes a few minutes to create a page! Click on the "Fundraise" button that is below the dollar amount to create a fundraising page. Even if you don't register, you can create a fundraising page. Then create the fundraising page and send the link to your friends. As Sahaya International is a 501(c)3 organization, you can remind your friends and relatives that all donations are tax-deductible according to standard IRS regulations.

If your friends like to write a check to support you, ask them to make the check payable to "Sahaya International" with mention "Sahaya Walks/name of walker". You can add this to your page as an off-line donation. You can bring checks to the event or mail them (see our mailing address above).

Here is an example of an e-mail you send out to your friends:
Hello,
You are invited to Sahaya Walks 2023, which takes place online on Saturday Oct. 28, starting at 4:00 pm PST., followed by an outdoor potluck and social gathering the next day (October 29). For the virtual event, everyone can join (registration is free) regardless of where you are in the world! The theme of this year's walk is RENEWED HOPE.
I would love if you could donate to our Sahaya Walks 2023  efforts. Whatever you feel comfortable donating, no matter the amount, is greatly appreciated. Since Sahaya is an all-volunteer organization, 100% of proceeds go to help families, particularly children, affected by HIV/AIDS in India and other countries.
Our fundraising page is at this link (INSERT HERE THE LINK TO YOUR PAGE). 
Click on the "Register or donate" button. The next screen allows you to also register if you like (registration is free), or you can click “No thanks, I’d just like to donate”. Then select your donation amount, and select the team. My team should show up by default, but otherwise use the pull down menu to select my team. Click continue to proceed with the donation. After you complete the transaction, automated tax receipt will sent to you by e-mail (as all donations are tax-deductible).

Thank you so much,
(YOUR NAME)

D. JOIN US ONLINE ON OCTOBER 28 AND IN PERSON ON OCTOBER 29 AND CELEBRATE THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The online event on Saturday October 28 (4 pm PDT) will be approximately one hour, and will be a combination of:

• Real-time presentations, including stories and updates on the HIV+ children and youth in India and Africa
• Raffle of prizes (winners need to be present online to claim their prize).
• Pre-recorded video messages of hope from registered participants.
• Music performances
• Time for Q&A.

How far your fundraising efforts can reach for children in India:

• $10 provides 1 month of life-saving medications for an HIV-infected child
• $30 provides 1 month of food, clothing and school fees for a needy child
• $100 covers 1 year of school expenses (including uniform) for an orphan
• $360 provides 1 year of food, clothing and school fees.

More information about the history of Sahaya Walks: www.sahayawalks.org
More information about Sahaya International: www.sahaya.org

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND EFFORTS