Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST
Happy Mother's Day to Mom Runners
Run Across the Congo
By Tammy Duffy
On May 23-30, 2015, an all-women team of runners will embark upon a 7-marathon, 7-day journey along the shores of Lake Kivu in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to raise awareness and funds for the inspiring female coffee farmers, farming families and cooperatives working toward gender equality and stability in the region and victims of VAS.
The first ever Run Across Congo will support and celebrate the resurgence of the Kivu Region through empowering women in farming communities. Runners will traverse the Great Lakes region of Africa for 300 km, hosted along the way by communities with whom organizing partners, On The Ground and Twin, have existing relationships.
Awareness and funds raised from the Run will empower women through programs that create access to knowledge, land, income and health care, enabling them to run their own lives and businesses. Run Across Congo unites non-profit, governmental and coffee industry partners with communities persevering through decades of civil war in Eastern DRC.
Funds secured by the runners and through other project fund raising will directly benefit women of three Congolese communities: female coffee farmers of the Muungano Cooperative, widows of slain Virunga National Park rangers and sexual assault victims receiving care in Lemare.
Run Across Congo will use the same model the non profit, On the Ground, developed for the successful Run Across Ethiopia in 2011 and Run Across Palestine in 2012. These runs created several schools and the planting of thousands of olive trees respectively, for projects that are continuing to dramatically improve the lives of farming communities in the developing nations.
In speaking with one of the runners, Britt Cameron I was inspired by her every word. Britt and her husband both are in the US Coast Guard. They have 6 children and have grown their family through international adoption and foster care. Her youngest son, Kai, was born in DR Congo. She is not an endurance runner, however she has ran 4 marathons. The elevation that they will run in the DR Congo is much different from the USCG base in NJ. They will conquer this run and raise a lot of money for their ultra event. Britt is very excited to start this journey.
The proceeds from Run Across Congo will provide transformative opportunities to these farmers by introducing practical initiatives supporting women’s empowerment at both farm and cooperative levels. Funds will be used to empower and educate female farmers to become entrepreneurs, take control of their lives and create a brighter future for coffee communities affected by the civil war in the eastern DRC.
The programs will provide the following:
· Gender Action Learning Systems training
· Training and leadership for women
· Self esteem workshops
· Literacy training
· Educated men to involve their wives and daughters
· Developing incentives at producer levels, promoting female membership
· Continuing entrepreneur and business advice and support
· Training women to develop small business plans, business advice and support.
One of the first stops along the way during this ultra marathon will be the community of Lemera. The town is a hub for women who are victims of sexual aggression (VAS), many of whom walk four days or more with their children to receive medical attention. Funds raised by the run will support the communities Lemera Hospital, which has treated 670 VAS patients in the last year.
http://www.runacrosscongo.org/run/
The link above will allow you to visit their web site. As these amazing runners commence their journey on May 23rd, we wish them the best of luck. We also wish Britt and all the Mom’s running a very Happy Mother’s Day!
