Running4Rwanda

It's almost a year since the last 'running' post, but don't worry - things are still happening. Maybe not much running, but things are still happening for Rwanda. I stopped running after falling during a run on March 12th - the second time this had happened - so decided to quit before anything serious happened. Since then, I have heart surgery to cure a long-standing heart problem, and hopefully allow me to run without feeling faint, and keeling over. So far, so good. I had my first run on October 27th, and have done a couple of runs since. Not far, and not fast, but at least I'm running again. Join us at Liverpool Santa Dash 2012 My last 'race' was last year's Liverpool Santa Dash. All being well, my next race will be the Liverpool Santa Dash 2012! As always, anything I do will be targetted to help the aims of Shyira Trust - Poverty Relief, Child Education, and Midwifery Training and Safe Motherhood in Rwanda - our very own Millennium Developm...

Poverty is part of a vicious circle, also including health and education – without education, people cannot find work. Without work, they cannot afford healthcare. Without health, they cannot hold down a job. And so the cycle goes on. The relief of poverty is a way of breaking the vicious circle. Directly or indirectly, all the projects we fund are aimed at poverty relief in Rwanda. We do not give handouts to individuals, but support projects to achieve sustainable development. We have funded coffee growing, a long-term project to lift the whole community out of poverty. We have rebuilt or refurbished the homes of child-headed families, so they can afford education and healthcare costs. Over 100 children from the poorest families have had their school fees paid, relieving their families of the expense of education. All these projects, and the many others we support, are in keeping with the Millennium Development Goals and are having a noticeable effect on the area around Shyir...

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. The goals are: Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger Achieving universal primary education Promoting gender equality and empowering women Reducing child mortality rates Improving maternal health Combatting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases Ensuring environmental sustainability Developing a global partnership for development These aims, especially the first six, are the same aims that Shyira Trust has been working to achieve in Rwanda, since forming in 2006. Its objectives are: The relief of poverty The advancement of education The preservation and protection of good health in Rwanda In particular, Shyira Trust has provided funds to renovate the primary and secondary schools, and sponsored over 100 children through secondary education. It raised funds to re...