➡️ WHO I AM:
My name is Petr Kostal, I am 25 years old, I just finished my Master's degree and my biggest passion in life is unconventional travel. In the past I have walked alone to Santiago de Compostela, I have walked from Rome to Prague and I have managed to ride 2,000 km from the Czech Republic to Athens even though I hardly ride a bike. And this summer I'm going around the world to support the Single Mothers Club.

I like to show people that man is capable of anything he sets his mind to. If an ordinary person like me can do everything.  

🔴 SINGLE MOTHERS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC:

Unfortunately, the situation has been getting worse since Covid. Particularly in the decline of job opportunities and in the splitting of aid among more needy groups. Donors are not declining, but donations are being distributed. For example, because of the war in Ukraine, the financial crisis, etc... Although it may be surprising to some, the biggest problem for single parents is not finances, but lack of time. Logically, they prioritize their children in everything and indulge themselves only in the essentials, which has a great impact on their health and psyche. There have been cases where a mother ate Chinese soups for a year in order to be able to give her children meat. 

🔴 HOW DONATIONS WILL HELP:
The Single Mothers Club helps over 50 families financially per month and the average donation is 200-800 euro, which can be drawn up to 3 times a year. Families can use this financial assistance to provide food, pay rent, utilities, camps for children and many other areas.

As the Club's assistance is comprehensive, it provides the following areas in addition to financial assistance:
Material Assistance - In addition to distributing gifts for children, clothing and similar items, the Club operates a clothing bank. It is the one that prepares and redistributes crisis packages of clothes for all socially vulnerable groups.
Professional legal help - For single mothers, a lawyer is very expensive. It costs a family about 200 euro per hour, which is almost enough money to buy two weeks' worth of groceries for a family of three.
Information assistance - The hotline helps more than ten callers a day who need advice about their difficult situation.

🔴 WHY I'M DOING THIS CHARITY:
Fresh out of high school, when I was planning my walking pilgrimage from Rome to Prague, I wanted to combine traveling with raising money for a good cause. My choice fell on children's homes and with the funds I raised I wanted to take my children to the sea for the first time. After I wrote to some of the orphanages in the Czech Republic, I got the same answer...

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to organize another charity project after that, so I just went on a 900-kilometer walking pilgrimage. Now that I am finishing my studies, I wanted to combine the pleasant with the useful again and help children through travel. I had to change my mindset and not focus directly on the children but on their family background.

The biggest help to children is not a new phone or branded toys. It's a stable family where they can live a normal life.

While this sentence may seem obvious as a slap in the face, sponsors don't hear much on this topic. They want a quick result and a picture of a kid with a new smart phone to show the world how good-hearted they are. Long term aid focusing on a stable background that is not so easily shared on networks is simply not SEXY. As a marketeer, I totally understand this, but I want to take a different path. Even if it will be more challenging and the outcome won't be as clear cut. I see the point and I'm going for it.

➡️ ABOUT MY ADVENTURE:
Since I'm about to have the last vacation of my life, I decided to go on a three-month trip around the world with my friend Honza. We have bought 22 tickets and will visit 12 countries in total. Besides diving at the Great Barrier Reef, exploring Hawaii and trekking to Maccu Piccu, I plan to make the trip educational. I want to highlight how single mothers live in the world in general and how it compares to the Czech Republic. At the same time, I want to connect with local non-profit organizations that will help me understand the situation more.

I plan to document the entire trip honestly on my social media to show the world to those who no longer have the space for such travel.

➡️ SOCIAL NETWORKS:
If you are also interested in my journey, don't forget to follow my social networks.
INSTAGRAM - Daily dose of interesting things with a little bit of humor.
YOUTUBE - Weekly summaries of how we did on the trip.
LINKEDIN - Behind the scenes of the whole charity project.
TIKTOK - Short videos of our observations from the trip.
Email: Kostal.petr@email.cz

Profile of illustrator Bara, who helped me with the graphics.

➡️ LIST OF SPONSORS:
A list of the amazing companies that supported my donation appeal. If your company is also interested in doing a good thing, contact me at my email and I'll be happy to add you to the list!