Pork Scratchings, Mushy Peas, and Mick Jagger

It has been a full couple of days.  Yesterday started with a longer than expected run along the Thames.  I paid for it later with very sore legs, but the scenery just got more interesting and more lovely with every step.  The rain and wind held off until I turned around to head back home.  Song birds, grey squirrels, brick palaces, rowers gliding gracefully alongside swans, cathedrals, and arched bridges made it all worthwhile.

Central London is quite a different experience.  I was thinking about my comment about how everything is quaint and little here and then it dawned on me that everything is HUGE in London.  Quite the contrast.

We did lots of walking and peeked in on Buckingham Palace, which is not very palacey in my opinion, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey (too long of a line-up to go inside), the National Gallery, the Portrait Gallery (wish we had more time here), the Calvary Museum (complete with guards on horses with signs that say these horses will bite and kick... being a guard at the Calvary Museum seems like a terrible job to me), and my favourite, Westminster Cathedral.  This was my first experience inside a cathedral of this magnitude.  I lit a candle for my Dad and just stood in awe at all of it.  I was reminded of "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet as I stared up (and up and up) to the mosaic ceilings and marble pillars.  I wondered how many years it took to build and how many people lost their lives and how many babies were born during the construction.  And then of course I thought of how much it must have cost.

The other London highlight was Billy Elliot.  Thanks Ma, for insisting that we see a show while in London!  The brochure promised "unforgettable music by Elton John, sensational dance and a powerful storyline, this astonishing theatrical experience will stay with you forever"... it will.

After the play we headed out on the train and bus to Twickenham for a Rotary meeting.  Our lack of sleep showed up looking something like bickering about which bus was going where.  We ended up hopping on and off two buses after asking the bus driver if it was going to Trafalgar Street (who knew there were so many ways to pronounce Trafalgar).  Turns out either of those buses would have taken us where we needed to go, but my questioning confused the matter and caused us an extra 20 minutes of standing in the rain.  When we did make it to our destination, we found the pub where the meeting was to be held, but the meeting had been cancelled for the Christmas break.  A disappointing end to a great day.

Terry's British breakfast of champions

Today we walked the Thames with friends Andy and Maxine whose commentary added a whole new element of delight to our walk which we have become quite familiar with after only two days.

The quaint little (or not so little) brick buildings we have been passing all have a story.  Little did we know that we have been walking on Royal ground.  Here is King Henry I's house, first occupied in 1125.  The sign out front boasts of many Royals who died here... hmmm... Edward III died here in 1377, Henry VII rebuilt the palace and then died here in 1503, and Queen Elizabeth also died here in 1602.  Not sure what all the dying is about, a hospice of sorts maybe.

River Frontage of the Royal Palace

A little farther in our walk we passed homes owned by Mick Jagger and Pete Townshend.  Shops and alleyways, pubs complete with more kids, dogs, fish and chips, and mushy peas, ooo, and a cheese shop.  A very excellent day.  We had plans to go to a meeting tonight, but our afternoon nap, extended a little longer than planned.  So, it will be a quiet, likely sleepless, last night at The Swan Inn before we fly out in the morning to Nairobi.

View from our room in Old Isleworth

Big Ben & Buckingham Palace

Our sleep was definitely a little wonky -- Terry fell asleep by 8:30pm while watching a biography of Susan Boyle on the tele.  I woke up in the wee hours of the morning (3am-ish) to Terry just turning off the tele (I really like saying tele) to go back to sleep after being up from midnight.  I think we'll have it down by tomorrow as it is ten to ten and we are both still awake.

We started the day with an easy jog along the river Thames.  Aside from the picturesque views of swans swimming under little bridges and cobblestone pathways and brick buildings with Christmas wreaths and widow boxes of pansies and ivy, oh, and holly with yellow berries, my favourite part of the run was when we past an older Italian man walking his 3 pooches.  Terry was about 200 metres ahead of me and I could see the man point to him and say something.  As I neared I heard him ask, "Is she with you?", to which I replied with a smile, "yes."  He then quite sternly in a strong Italian accent gave Terry what for for not waiting for me.  We carried on with a smile and a wave.  

We passed a church with a little cemetery -- everything seems little here -- with headstones from as early as 1676.  I love the detail in the architecture; every nook and crannie is adorned with a goblin or a flower or some kind of swirl or curl.  The detail is just breathtaking, right down to baby chub rolls on the legs of cherubs.

Anyway, on the way back from our run, Terry was waiting for me up ahead and I was thinking, Oh, it's so nice that he is waiting for me... and then I saw our Italian friend and knew didn't want to get caught again.  We had a little chat about which way is it to London and then he asked, "Where are you from, America?"  We told him we were from Canada, to which he replied, "Oh, Canadians are nice people."  So are Italians!

We spent the afternoon in Central London, which I will write in more detail a little later... I think it's time to sleep soon.  We saw Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, many many old, beautiful, white and gold buildings, and many many statues.  Oh, and the Canada Memorial...  

Here's just a couple of my favourite signs before I sign off:

way out -- aka exit
give way -- aka yield
look left (or right) -- painted on the street at crossings for us tourists
mind the step
mind the gap
alight here
park here and your car will be clamped

Sleepy in London

We boarded the plane, on schedule, with a nice surprise... we ended up in "world" something or other, which is not quite first class, but very comfy, with extra roominess, fancy headphones, soft blankie, and a little pack with slippers, a toothbrush, an eye pillow, and a pen.  We needed the comfort as we sat on the runway for 2 1/2 hours (TWO AND A HALF HOURS) while the engineers sorted out the starter on engine number 3.

Once up in the air everything went smoothly... until the hour and a half (HOUR AND A HALF) line up for customs in Heathrow!  A little sleep deprived, we found our way to the tube, then to the bus and finally to our little room at the Swan Inn Pub. 

After some haddock and chips (and a Greek salad -- I've got to get greens while I can, though I'm not sure that iceberg lettuce really counts as greens) in our crowded, but friendly, neighbourhood pub complete with dogs, babies, kids, and rugby on the tele, we are tucked away trying not to fall asleep too early.  It is noon:fifteen Vancouver time, 8pm-ish London time.  The goal is to stay awake for a couple of hours so we are not up at 4am.

Tomorrow will start with a run along the Thames, which is just outside our door.  Then we will try to find some maps and plan out our three short days here.

One hour to take off

It feels like we have been saying farewell FOREVER!  But, the time has actually come.  I have been reluctant to blog... still am, a little, I guess.  I can't quite find what I'm feeling.  And I haven't actually left yet, so there is very little to report at this time. 

I do want to say how incredibly grateful I am. 


This has been quite the year -- saying good-bye to my Dad in January, Rancho la Puerta in February, Maui in June, going back to school in September, sitting with Adya in California in November, and now Kenya.  Sigh.  It's almost too much!  Thank God for good friends and copious episodes of The Office that have kept me grounded, or helped me numb out when needed, in the face of overwhelm.


I'm also so grateful to Terry... it's pretty amazing that we both want to go on a trip like this (twice!), and that we both love Rotary (though Terry wins the Keener prize for sure), and we both like our quiet little life in our funny little house.


Anyway, forgive me if this blog feels a little "Dear Diary-ish" from time to time... I was going to have a "public" blog and a separate "friend" blog, and perhaps a private journally blog, but I'm going for simplicity in my life, so this will be the catch all.


Here we go... weeeeeee!!!!

Day of departure is here

Ok, I think I'm ready. Tanya is out saying goodbye to friends. Plane leaves in 5.5 hours.

I have figured out how to use 5% of my new camera's functions, I've downloaded several audiobooks (War&Peace, Dead Aid, The Fountain Head, Hitch 22 and various podcasts about the metals market and atheist debates), I have gone for a 1 hour run, laundry is done, travel "outfit" picked out (I hope they let me into London theatres with a Mulder Marine pro fish farmer hoody on), wireless headphones,camera, cell phone, itouch, GPS, Garmin watch, backup itouch powerpack are all charged up, gifts are packed. Couldn't fit about 4 pairs of runners I was going to give away.

Time is ticking pole, pole (slowly, slowly). I'll go practice some swahili...

Our trip, in the news...

Below is an article on our trip that appeared in local newspapers and Rotary newsletters:

By Boxing Day three members of the Rotary Club of Strathcona Sunrise will be off to India and Africa to carry out the Rotarian motto: "Service Above Self". Tanya Harmon and Terry Nielsen are returning to a small town in Kenya on boxing day. Peg Carswell will be returning to Assam, in northeast India. They will be gone for several months after investing many months into fundraising.

The main Kenya project is the construction of 50 protected springs bringing clean water to 20,000 Kenyans at a cost of $51,000.00. The funds were raised by both Rotary clubs in Campbell River, together with the Strathcona Sunrise and Cumberland Centennial clubs.19 other Vancouver Island Rotary Clubs contributed significantly as well. The other African projects besides the springs range from fish farms to education. Non- Rotary partners are Comox Valley Roadrunners who have supplied $600.00 to develop impoverished Kenyan runners. Local Optometrist Dr. Elaine Kerr provided 24 pairs of reading glasses. Eatmore Sprouts & Greens provided $400 towards the purchase of bicycles. You can follow the Kenya projects' progress on CanadatoKenya.blogspot.com.

In India, Rotarian Peg Carswell will continue the work she has long been doing with farmers and tea growers, to help promote traditional and more sustainable farming practices. She’ll also be working with her husband, Kel Kelly, to help growers develop markets for their organically-grown teas. Rotary has contributed over $1000 towards the purchase of educational equipment that will be used to provide training to students and farmers in the region.
All three Rotarians travel at their own cost and volunteer their time and energy to complete the projects above as well as several more. To learn more about local Rotary you can visit rotarystrathconasunrise.org.

1 day before lift-off

It's Horus the Sun God day. Dec 25th.

If I have to be politically correct on this blog I'll never write anything as it takes too much effort to filter my...opinions OUT of my posts- so be warned : Terry is an atheist libertarian.

We are leaving on a jet plane tomorrow night. After 4 days in London we go to Nairobi.

So far we think we have remembered everything. Our house is all readied for Mary B to clean and the tenant to take over. We are nervous, but now that we are together in Vancouver the bickering is subsiding as our fear-of-unknown binds us rather than pits us.

We have many individuals who have supplied funds. I'm tempted to post them all to honour them, but I'm aware Canadians may not appreciate that. On the other hand if I was to post it then it would help me keep track and ensure no one was missed. For now I'll keep the cards close to my chest. Suffice to say that we have about $64,000 CDN for designated projects. $51,129 for protected springs, $5000 for fish farmers, $6000 [corrected] for vocational training workshops (through TEMBO.org) and $600 for developing a runner or running program for the Comox Valley Road Runners. We also got a big bag of reading glasses from Dr Elaine Kerr and $400 for bikes from Eatmore Sprouts & Greens.

We also have a couple thousand in mad money from friends and family to do random acts of kindness with. We will no doubt match that with our own funds cuz changing lives for the better is addictive. I'm thinking of putting out some micro-loans. Having just listened to the 55 hour audiobook of Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" I am poignantly aware that our emphasis has to be on investing and making sustainable changes rather than merely dispensing charity. Not only is sustainability mandated by Rotary, it is also something we belive in as essential. This is tricky and will be the central premise of each interaction. It is much simpler just to hand out goodies and get the big smiles. But decades of humanitarian experience by others, including Rotary, has shown this not to work, and even to cause more harm than good in the long run. It's a whole other challenge to cross the culture and language divide and say "Now, take this and stand on your own two feet". We want to return in 5, 10 years to see that teh projects of 2012 are still yielding returns.

As much as I like it here in BC I am eager to escape this culture-o-plenty (and work) for a few months.

Horus gave us a new camera for our trip: it takes video in frikking 3D!! No one told me that had been invented yet. It also has a built-in GPS. So we have lots of gadgets. I'm bringing a GPS so that each spring can be mapped. But I am not getting too attached to all the goodies because being robbed is a real possibility.

Kwaheri for now

Count down...

In less than two weeks, Terry and I will be taking off for Kenya!  We will be busy while we are there overseeing the construction of 50 protected springs and coordinating sanitation training.  Vocational and leadership training to empower women and youth with skills to increase family income and alleviate poverty is already underway in Kakamega.

The trip for me this year is about building relationships and learning as much as I can from the women in the community.  I am hoping someone will be willing to help me with my Swahili too!

Thank you to everyone who has supported our work with donations, time and interest.  The need is great, but more importantly, so is the potential.

Some of you have said that you would still like to donate.  If you would like a tax receipt for 2011, please donate on-line http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10931 as soon as possible.  If a tax receipt is not important, then we can accept cash, cheques, and on-line donations at any time.  We found last time we were there that it is nice to have some money available for unexpected needs that will undoubtably arise.  Last time a friend gave us $200 and said, "Change someone's life."  We were able to buy a bundle of clothing ($50) for Josephine to start a little business selling clothing at the market.  The business is still going and has been an important source of income for Josephine and her family.

Anyway, what I really want to say is thank you so much for your support!  I shake my head sometimes in awe of the life I am living.  Kenya penetrated my heart last time we were there and I feel so blessed to be going back.

If you'd like to follow along while we are gone, we will be blogging here CanadatoKenya.blogspot.com.

Asante sana,

Tanya and Terry

p.s. These pictures show why we are going back!

Toonies for Tools

Terry and I are heading back to Kenya in December for three months this time.  Here's what we will be up to:

1) The Strathcona Sunrise Rotary Club in partnership with Kakamega Rotary Club has been successful, due to the many many hours of paperwork and PR that Terry has put in over the past two years, in securing a grant which will fund the construction of FIFTY protected springs in the Kakamega area.  What this means is that the parasite-infested puddles that serve as drinking water for thousands of people will be converted to endlessly flowing fresh water springs.  This will have incredible health benefits for about 20,000 people in the community.  Yay!

2) In addition to overseeing the water project, I will be coordinating training for women and youth in skills which can be immediately applied to increasing family income and alleviating poverty.  The local trainer we will be working with, Alex, is very direct about what is needed to bring people out of poverty.  Mainly it is changing attitudes about handouts so people believe in their own capacity to succeed.  Also working together in small units to foster accountability and responsibility.

Toonies for Tools is what I am calling this fundraising effort.  If you would like to provide tools for a woman or youth to build a brighter future for themselves, their children and their community, please Donate here (http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10931).  Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated so generously through One Drop of Hope and the Canada to Kenya Run!  We already have funding secured for the first group and all future donations will enable us to expand our efforts and reach more people.

I am calling it Toonies for Tools to get the message out that every dollar helps.  So, whether you are able to donate:

$1,000 ... provides business training for 40 women and 40 youth, or

$150-$300 ... the average fee to learn an income generating trade such as tailoring or carpentry, or

$12 ... what I paid for lunch today, or

$2 ... what a woman earns in a day picking tea or a young man earns as a boda boda driver (bicycle taxi driver).


Your donation makes a significant difference.  Thank you for your kind support -- whether it is backed with dollars or with love.

One last thing... if you are thinking about donating, the sooner the better.  Even though we are not leaving until December, training is already starting and we'll need to start planning and selection for January sessions.  Here's the link to Donate (http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10931).

Tax receipts are provided through Tembo-Kenya.

I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have and share stories.

Asante sana,  Tanya
onedropofhope@gmail.com
(250) 898-7728

Going out on a limb

On January 24th, in a seize the day kind of moment, I launched an ambitious initiative to raise money for Kenya -- The Canada to Kenya Challenge.  I gathered a team of people together to collectively run the distance from Vancouver to Kenya... that's 15,000 KMs, with a goal of raising $15,000 ($1/km) to provide opportunity through mentorship and entrepreneur training to women and disadvantaged youth in rural Kenya.  I signed up for the Edge to Edge Marathon which would mark the final KMs of the challenge. 

Six days later, Dad died.

Needless to say, I lost my spark and the challenge was the furthest thing from my mind.  But just as life keeps on living all around us, the challenge carried on without me.  People kept running and logging their mileage; the challenge had taken on a life of it's own.  I did begin running again, for Dad and for Kenya.  The group met the challenge and have run all the way to Kenya -- over 15,000KM!  This Sunday is the Edge to Edge Marathon in Tofino.  I will be running the Half Marathon to mark the finale to the Canada to Kenya Challenge.

We have fallen short of our fundraising goal, however -- who would have guessed that asking for money was harder than running across continents and oceans?  I will take the lead on the asking part...

To support our work in Kenya, please make your tax deductible donation here.  (http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10931).

I'd like you to consider if $660 would change your life.  I have personally put in 660km for this challenge.  And I am asking, if it won't change your financial life, if you would consider pledging $660 ($1 for each of my kilometres).  It is a lot to ask, I know. 

I can tell you that $660 will definitely change the lives of many, hard working, responsible, deserving young people in Kenya.  The opportunity this money can bring will change the course of so many lives for generations to come.  I know, I've seen it first hand.

At the Gordon Harmon Memorial run last weekend, Julie Miller told a story about Dad fundraising for the Rotary Seawalk Run.  He had signed Prudential Sussex Realty on as a title sponsor.  Julie said that he had forgotten about the money part of the sponsorship and had one hour to raise $10,000 to honour the sponsorship.  He asked individual realtors to write a cheque, on the spot, for $750.  He said it in a way like there wasn't really a choice and it would be a good business move for those who did it.  In one hour, he had the $10,000 needed.

Dad also used to tell me that when someone would ask him for change on the street, he would tell them if they want to get ahead,they should be asking for bills, not small change.

So, here is the link for tax deductible donations http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10931.  Whether you choose to pledge $660 or more, or $20 or whatever feels right for you, know that you donation will make a life changing difference in a family's life.

I would love to share stories from Kenya if you would like to hear more, please don't hesitate to contact me.  You can read our blog from our first trip here http://tntinkenya.blogspot.com/ and follow it when we return to Kenya at the end of this year.  You can read more about the Canada to Kenya Challenge here.

Thank you for your kind support -- whether it is backed with dollars or with love. 

I just had to ask.

Love, Tanya


Tanya Harmon
2952 Lupton Road
Courtenay, BC  V9N 3V3
(250) 334-8045

Donate here http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10931   

Almost There!

As of May 13, 2011, only one month until the end of the Canada to Kenya Challenge, we have collectively run and recorded 13,656km!  Thank you so much to each of you who put your time, energy and sweat into making this possible!    I have no doubt that we will reach our goal of running 15,000km by June 12th; when the challenge will end with the Edge to Edge Marathon in Tofino, BC.

We have been working hard, putting one foot in front of the other on the road, trails, treadmill, beach and even in the snow!  Now the real work begins... to raise $15,000 ($1/km) for Teaching, Empowering, Mentoring and Building Opportunity for women and youth in Kenya.

Make your tax deductible donation to TEMBO Kenya here.  Read on for stories of how small investments can make an enormous difference.

I received this note from Fredrick about two weeks ago:

Hello Tanya, I with my family are all fine.  We appreciated  for all what you have done for us as now my mother she is not serious the way she was.  She is getting treatment and enough food to add her weight  so she is now feeling better.  True nothing that I can say the way you have helped me since we met up to now. My life is not like before I will never forget you in my life  up to the end of my life.  I wish you the best in your life otherwise may God bless you abundantly. 

Fredrick represents the under educated, under employed youth that populates rural Kenya.  They need only an opportunity to prosper.  Fredrick and his wife Josephine are good, hardworking young parents to their 3 year old little girl, Brenda.  For circumstances outside of their control, they were not able to attend secondary school and when I met them, had no formal training in any marketable skills.  They are capable farmers, but with no land.   When I met Fredrick he was my boda-boda driver (bicycle taxi) and he said to me, "I will not be able to do this work when I am an old man."  He did not ask me then, nor has he since, for money.  Only for a chance to learn a skill that could help him earn his own living.

I paid for his fees to attend trade school and purchase a few tools.  Fredrick finished high in his class and is now a certified carpenter.  He will be able to use this skill to earn a living and eventually build a business for himself, provide a needed service to the community, perhaps employ and mentor other young people, send his daughter to school, care for his family... you get the idea. 


The $15,000 we hope to raise through the Canada to Kenya Challenge will fund training for women and  youth in skills which can be immediately applied to increasing family income and alleviate poverty.  Many Kenyans, like Fredrick and Josephine, living in rural areas have never completed more than a few years of schooling if that, and are limited by their present poverty to subsistence farming and selling a few vegetables in the local market. They are hard working, very responsible individuals, that just need a chance.


You can help to give them that chance with a donation (click here to donate).  The money raised through this challenge will directly fund literacy, trade and technical skill building and business training.

Thank you for your kind support! 

Jessica Jackley: Poverty, money -- and love | Video on TED.com

Jessica Jackley: Poverty, money -- and love | Video on TED.com

Sometimes very small investments can release enormous, infinite potential that exists in all of us.

Jacqueline Novogratz: Inspiring a life of immersion | Video on TED.com

One month in and over 5,000KM already!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  To everyone who is running their heart out for Kenya!  Thanks especially to Norm for stepping in for me as administrator as I've been wrapped up in some pretty important family matters.  One thing I learned in Kenya is how quickly the best laid plans can change.  And how important it is for the community to step in and help each other.  Thank you for being there. 

We are doing a great job as Team HOPE in adding up the miles and now, one month in, it is time to get serious about fundraising.  Our goal is to collectively run the distance between Vancouver Island and Kenya (approximately 15,000KM) AND raise $1 per KM to support Teaching, Empowering, Mentoring and Programs to Build Opportunity for women and youth in Kenya.

As a little incentive to get the fundraising rolling and to reward you for your efforts, how does a one hour massage sound?  Everyone who submits pledges at http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=10931 will be entered into a draw for a one hour massage (in the community where you live, of course).  Please share the link with your friends and let's see if we can cover our first months worth of mileage (over 5,000KM combined!).  Ask your friends to put your name in the comment line when they make their donation so that you are credited for the pledge.  You will have one entry for every pledge received.   

Happy trails.  The first draw will take place March 15th.  More details to follow next week.  Terry and I are off to a health ranch for a week, but will continue to log our mileage while we are gone!

Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run? | Video on TED.com

Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run? | Video on TED.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I join the challenge?
Register at Daily Mile (http://www.dailymile.com/challenges/2611-run-from-canada-to-kenya) or email onedropofhope@gmail.com with your name and contact information.  If you register through dailymile.com, then just log into the site and record your runs.  If you choose not to sign up at dailymile.com, then keep track of your runs and email the summary including the day you ran and the distance to onedropofhope@gmail.com.  Mileage collected through email and daily mile will be tallied together for the collective journey to Kenya.

I am not a runner, can I still participate?
Runners, walkers and shufflers are all welcome to take part in our journey from Canada to Kenya!  Simply register and track your workout (as if it were a run... so, it may be a really short, really slow run).  Every step, no matter how fast, or what style, counts!

No, I mean I am NOT a runner... can I still participate?
Of course you can!  Those not into running, or tracking their mileage can participate by sending a donation to show your support.  Donations can be mailed to Tembo-Kenya, c/o Tanya Harmon, 2952 Lupton Road, Courtenay, BC  V9N 3V3.  You can also participate as a cheerleader by spreading the word about the challenge and sharing the link to this blog with your friends.

How does the fundraising work?
The goal of the Canada to Kenya challenge is to raise $1 for every kilometre on the journey from Canada to Kenya -- approximately 15,000km or $15,000.  There is no entry fee to join the challenge and no obligation to collect pledges.  For those who do wish to support the cause and fundraise, print our pledge sheet and ask you friends to help bring opportunity to the women and youth in Kenya by sponsoring one of your runs, one week of your mileage, or even your total challenge kilometres!  All donations of $25 or more will automatically receive a tax receipt from Tembo-Kenya, so be sure to print clearly and include the full name and mailing adress of the donor.  I have received my first pledge -- $0.01/kilometre for the entire team's totals!

Where do I send the donations?
Make cheques payable to Tembo-Kenya and mail to 2952 Lupton Road, Courtenay, BC  V9N 3V3 at any time throughout the challenge.  All pledges are due BEFORE July 1, 2011. 

Can I donate by credit card?
At this point we are not set up for credit card donations.  We hope to be before the end of the challenge and will notify you at that time.

I still have more questions
Please feel free to email onedropofhope@gmail.com with all of your questions, comments, and suggestions.


    

Let's Run to Kenya!

Running to Kenya may seem an absurd and impossible goal at first glance, but together we can go the distance -- 15,000 kilometres!  And raise $15,000 for Teaching, Empowering, Mentoring and Building Opportunity to benefit the women, children and youth in rural Kenya.

It's about 15,000 kilometres between here and Kenya.  If we raise $1 for each kilometre, we will be able to do so much good.  My trip to Kenya in 2009 (read our blog here) inspired me to create One Drop of Hope, a fundraising initiative to help address the overwhelming needs of the people we met there.  One Drop of Hope was founded on the principle that we can't do everything, but we can do something. 

Last year One Drop of Hope raised $5,000.  This $5,000 was enough to provide:  ongoing costs for an orphanage housing 60 disabled children and orphans; scholarship fees and uniform for a grade 9 (Form 1) student; literacy and business training for 40 women; and to build a protected water spring which is the only source for clean, fresh water to the 1,500 people who visit it every day in rural Western Kenya.

This year, with the goal of $15,000 in sight, One Drop of Hope is partnering with Tembo-Kenya to raise money for business training for women and youth.  Since high school education is fee based in Kenya, many, actually most families can't afford the costs.  Thanks to organizations like KEEF (Kenya Education Endowment Fund) and CHES (Canadian Harambee Education Society), there are some scholarships available.  What I noticed most when I was living in Kakamega, however, was a huge population of under-educated, under-employed youth with very few to no opportunities to support themselves and break the cycle of poverty. 

One day on my boda-boda ride (bicycle taxi) into town, my driver Fredrick said to me, "I won't be able to do this work when I am an old man."  From that day I have assisted Fredrick and his wife Josephine by sponsoring Fredrick in Carpentry school and providing seed money for Josephine to have a small business in the market selling clothing.  They dream of one day opening their own carpentry shop, with Josephine as the business manager so that they can send their little girl, Brenda, to school.

We have an opportunity to help someone be more than a sustenance farmer or labourer earning a mere dollar or two a day.  It's a chance to give someone the prospect of earning enough money to be able to support their family and then send their children to high school or beyond.  All money raised through the Canada to Kenya challenge will be directed to entrepreneurship programs, vocational training, seed money for business start up and mentoring support through the first year of business as they become self sustaining.

I know how important it is to have a goal when you are training.  Having run 5 marathons, I know how difficult it can be to just get out the door sometimes.  Whether you are part of an official team or running group or a fellow runner/jogger/shuffler, I hope people will see this as a chance to put your movement into action with a higher purpose.  Sometimes we need more than the promise of losing a few pounds to get us out the door.  When I am running and it's wet and cold and I'm tired, I think of my friends in Kenya.  And I smile at the possibilities.

Runners and walkers can register at Daily Mile (http://www.dailymile.com/challenges/2611-run-from-canada-to-kenya) or email onedropofhope@gmail.com with your name, contact information and weekly mileage.  I will be blogging about the run from the first kilometre on January 24th to the last and even beyond if we surpass our goal.  The challenge runs from January 24th through to June 12th at the Edge to Edge Marathon in Tofino, BC. 

Follow our blog here to see the progress.  Please leave a comment or email me with any questions at all or if you know of a group that would like to be involved.  As the challenge develops, we will have prizes for most distance run, most pledges raised and other goodies. 

I see the Canada to Kenya Challenge as an opportunity that will benefit all concerned -- you'll get in shape, be part of a community working together towards a meaningful goal and know that every kilometre, every step, will count for someone else's future!

Donations can be sent to:

Tembo-Kenya
c/o 2952 Lupton Road
Courtenay, BC  V9N 3V3

For media inquiries, please contact Tanya Harmon 250-898-7728 or email onedropofhope@gmail.com