These heroic Ugandan girls run to support other children in need.
Will you support them?
This was no ordinary charity run.
The sun was blazing hot. The roads were unpaved, pitted and rough. Most of the 235 girls ran the 14 kilometers barefoot because they couldn’t afford shoes.
The students at Uganda Rural Development Training (URDT) Girls School initiated this bold and heroic act of altruism in 2008 to help children even less fortunate than themselves. In December 2009, more than 700 girls from their region will run to raise funds for their community.
You can help.
Students at the URDT Girls School ran 14K barefoot to raise nearly $1500 USD for their community, where most residents live on less than $1 a day.
Despite their inexperience in running long distances, their commitment to “go the distance for others” proved more powerful than the challenging 14K course.
Why did the girls do it?
They are chosen from the poorest families in the district to attend the remarkable Girls School at the Uganda Rural Development and Training Program (URDT). There they learn to set bold goals for their own lives, families and communities, and do whatever it takes to reach them.
As a result of their efforts the entire region is flourishing. The Girls School is becoming a model for Africa and the world.
How can you help?
You can support these inspiring girls, whether or not you are a runner. Your contribution goes a long way to help girls and young women become strong, self-reliant leaders in Africa. During 2009:
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•You can donate funds directly to support the girls.
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•You can form your own team, or join a team, to raise funds by gathering pledges and running in already-scheduled local runs you choose to participate in this season. You may want to support a local cause as well as running for the girls in Uganda.
Your generous contributions, either by direct donation or through a fundraising run, can positively impact these inspired, courageous girls at URDT.
Copyright 2009
Yes, the girls need shoes, but more is needed for them to become leaders and role models:
$25
$50
$100
$200
$500
$1000
$5000
= a pair of running shoes and running/sports gear for a girl
= support for a girl and her family to start an income-producing project
= one month tuition, room and board for one girl
= one month of broadcasts on the community radio station, reaching 2 million listeners,
on the role of sports in female empowerment
= one month of sports program costs and athletic teacher’s salary
to empower and train girls as coaches and role models
= one year tuition, room and board for one girl (10-month school year)
= one year sports program costs and athletic teacher’s salary
