Running4Rwanda

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...

Almost there - less than a week to go to the Liverpool Santa Dash. The numbers have arrived, the suits have been collected, now all that remains is some Santas to fill those suits! We've had a few dropouts this year, so are struggling to make our full team of 12. If you are thinking of entering, but haven't quite got round to it, now's your chance. And you'll have a number to envy - there are only 9 one-digit numbers, and we've got 7 of them! If you want one of them, contact me at pete@running4rwanda.com and we can arrange something. I'll even deliver by hand, if possible.

E-mail just received from Rwanda: The final results was published recently, I have finished the courses successfully and now I am a qualified midwife. I am very happy for that and I will always keep in my mind people that have led me to this achievement ( the first one is you). Now I am looking for school documents to present to Shyira so that I may start working as a midwife. Who says you can't make a difference? Thanks to the support of people like you, Shyira now has 2 qualified midwives. We'll continue to support Fidele and Robinah, and safe motherhood projects in Shyira. When the time is right (when we've got enough money), we'll pay for the training of a third midwife.   To achieve these, we're running the Liverpool Santa Dash 2011, to raise much needed funds (see below). If you'd like to help us, please visit our fund-raising page and give whatever you can - it all goes to the projects supported. And it all makes a difference!

Now that Running2Rwanda has finished, and the RunLiverpool Marathon has been and gone, the athletics world can focus on its next major event - the Liverpool Santa Dash 2011. Some of the team at Liverpool Santa Dash 2009 Yes, it's back. The Liverpool Santa Dash is the biggest and best Fun Run in the UK, if not the world!  It may be a Fun Run to most people, but to us it's serious - it's another chance to raise much-needed funds for Shyira Trust to support their projects in Rwanda. I have run the Liverpool Santa Dash every year since it started - sometimes running it twice! This year we'll have a team of 12 running for our charity. As usual, we're fund-raising for Midwifery and Safe Motherhood projects in a country with one of the highest maternal and neo-natal death rates in the world. But if you think you can't make a difference, think again - Robinah, our first sponsored midwife, qualified in 2009. There were no maternal deaths in Shyira in 2010 - ...

After the trials and tribulations of 'Running2Rwanda', running a marathon should be like a stroll in the park. The RunLiverpool Marathon takes place on 9th October - the first time Merseyside has had its own marathon since the demise of the Mersey Marathon in the early 1990's. The Mersey Marathon was my first marathon when I started running in 1984, and this was to be my 3rd marathon in 3 years, after Windermere in 2009 and Chester in 2010. However, it wasn't to be - the combination of injury and work commitments meant my training was seriously curtailed in August and September, leaving me no alternative but to change my plans. But we do have someone running the event for us. Jane Wilson will be running her first-ever marathon, and has kindly volunteered to try to raise funds in aid of Shyira Trust. If you would like to support Jane, and at the same time support Shyira Trust, please visit her fund-raising page . Every penny raised by Shyira Trust goes to the pro...

As promised, some stats about our little jaunt: Total Mileage (up to Sat 29th August) 4260.36 Days to complete 149 days Average daily mileage 28.59 Running days logged 745 Average 5.72 miles per person per run. Territories crossed: 10 - England, France, Italy (Sardinia and Pantelleria, a comune of Sicily), Libya, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan (the world's newest nation), Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda Starters 12 Finishers 7 Max runners 11 (on April 5th) Min runners 1 (June 10th, 27th, July 11th, Aug 1st) No prizes, but worthy of mention: Most miles Rebecca (737), Matt (688) Highest monthly miles Pete (177, July), Matt (175, June), Rebecca (172, July) Highest daily miles 26.2+ Matt (3 times), Rebecca (2), Nadhim (2), Sheri (1) Most days running Pete (118 days) To prove that we had quality, as well as quantity, an honourable mention goes to Lisa - Winner, Wirral 5k (6th April) & Southport Race for Life 5k (15th May) & probab...

We've finally made it, so just a quick update to let everyone know, and to thank you all for your patience and your perseverance. I'll do a final roundup with some stats, and some info about Shyira, our final destination. You might be interested in the stark contrast between where we started and where we finished up. Everyone have a great weekend, and thanks again for everything. I'm going to miss this