This August, Bermuda will take a walk with the world, to raise money for the world's poorest people.

Answering the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) International's Gawad Kalinga (GK) Walk kicks off in Bermuda on August 23.

'Gawad Kalinga' translates from Tagalog the most widely spoken of the Philippine languages roughly as 'to give care'. Participants will walk five kilometres in an effort to raise funds for the charity.

ANCOP aims to benefit the less fortunate and to raise awareness to the deplorable plight of the poorest of the poor in the Philippines, and also other parts of the world.

The charity has chapters worldwide. The GK Walk will be held at Botanical Gardens taking the scenic route of Harbour Road, Lovers' Lane, South Road all the way to Tee Street back to Berry Hill Road.

Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m. For more information contact ANCOP International (Bermuda) at 799-6659 or e-mail us at ancopbermuda@logic.bm.

To participate in the GK Walk, register online by visiting www.ancopbermuda.com or go directly to www.raceday.bm, click 'running' and follow the simple registration process.

"Over the past five years, the GK Walk has collectively raised more than $5 million to build low-cost homes for the poor and provide education to over 2,000 children," said Evelou Mosely, President of ANCOP International (Bermuda).

This year's GK Walk promises to be more significant as Bermuda is going to join the campaign for the first time.

Also participating simultaneously are eight cities and provinces in Canada and 30 cities in the US. "This signifies solidarity, passion and commitment to the mission and vision that drives Gawad Kalinga," said Mrs. Mosely.

She said the event, though ambitious and significant, is minuscule compared to the vision and mission that ANCOP is aiming to uphold and fulfil. "GK is a movement that envisions a nation rebuilt, where dignity of the poorest of the poor is restored by working with one family at a time and, collectively, one community at a time," she said.

Transformation is accomplished by implementing an integrated, sustainable and holistic approach in eradicating social ills that is at the same time replicable. "GK's various programmes in shelter, child and youth development, productivity, health, values formation, environment and community empowerment have proven a complete success," said Mrs. Mosely.

To date, GK in partnership with ANCOP has helped transform lives in over 2,000 communities called GK villages in the Philippines, Cambodia, East Timor, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and other places.

"Bermuda alone through the generous support of partners and volunteers has sponsored and built a village which is now called CFC GK Bermuda Village in San Jose, Batangas, Philippines," said Mrs. Mosely