Toby's Blog

2012: Newsletter, our third.

 

Shoe4Africa is making a difference in Kenya.
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Just back from Kenya (again)

Thank you for having supported Shoe4Africa!  If you want to unsubscribe please note you can do so with a simple click at the bottom of this letter.

 

Recent events:  
1.  Partnered with IMAN Cosmetics to pamper a group of ladies from Kibera who have been through some rough times  
2.  Sponsored an art competition for the Chege Orphans  
3.  Organized a feeding program for kids in the far off Marakwet Hills  
4.  Announced the building of our third school 
5.  Opened our second school
6.  Interviewed and filmed the Director of the Moi Hospital (the 2nd largest public adult's hospital) discussing the state of medical care in Kenya and his request for help from Shoe4Africa 
7.  Ran our 6th annual women's 5K promoting AIDS awareness - this was a busy week in December!

We have been busy on the ground getting things done and making change.  Many meetings occurred to put us in a position where we have begun splitting the hospital plans into phases.  Phase One will be the ground floor; a complete hospital on its own.  Then, with the momentum of having a functioning public children's hospital, we can fund raise for Phase Two.  We are also ready to start accepting donations of medical equipment for the hospital.

Please note, you can follow us on our facebook page as well as our website.

In gratitude,

Toby Tanser
CEO & Founder.

 

WANT TO RUN?

We still have spots left to run the NYC Half Marathon - the route goes through Times Square!

If you're interested in running and fund raising a bit of money for us - 100% tax deductible - please let us know ASAP.  The spaces fill quickly.

Last year, 1/4 of our team was made up of actors!  Big thanks to Hugh Jackman, Anthony Edwards, Tom Cavanagh and James Legros for supporting Shoe4Africa!

 

Our Annual Christmas Feeding

Program

On December 22, we had a great day high up in the Marakwet district distributing food to families in need.  World Marathon Champion Luke Kibet and Commonwealth Games 5000m champion Luke Kipkosgei came with us to the home of the recent World Silver 10,000m medalist, Sally Kipyego, to bring smiles and much needed food.  An anonymous donor sponsored this program for us.  THANK YOU!  Your donation made a direct impact.  
 

Back in New York

City...

Our first ever race in New York City was a stunning success.  Even the weather cooperated!  On December 4th, a sold-out field ran the 5km loop on the park roads of Riverside Park on Manhattan's Upper West Side.  The sponsorship dollars raised on this day 'just about' raised enough money to build a brand new school in Kenya!

All of our runners got a Nike DriFit long sleeved shirt.  Hot chocolate with donuts were waiting for everyone at the finish line.  "It was the best race of the year, nobody wanted to leave at the end of the race...", noted one of the runners.  Thanks to all who supported our first annual 5K.  

SAVE THE DATE:  December 2, 2012 will see the second annual Shoe4Africa NYC 5K.  We have big development goals for this event...stay tuned!

Meet Jody, our top fund raiser on our running

team

Jody Crabtree from LA kept on reeling in the dollars for our marathon team!  Here, drinking a deserved beer with her friend.  Cheers and mega thanks Jody!

The Make Over Project, the

Sequel...

Ajuma, Kenya's most famous model, joined us when we re-visited Kibera with a bundle of gorgeous make-up donated by IMAN Cosmetics!!  Fifteen girls from the Binti Pamoja program were taught the tricks of the modeling trade - catwalk steps and smiles - from Ajuma and Siamanda.  The girls received make-up kits along with their lessons and left with huge smiles.  We look forward to expanding this program in the future.  The girls are already looking forward to our next visit!.

6th Annual Women's 5K
Promoting AIDS

Awareness

The youngest runner was 6 years old, daughter to the 2011 World Silver 5000m track medalist Sylvia Kibet; the oldest runner was over 80.  We had over 1,100 women running to promote AIDS awareness on a tough 5km course on a dirt road that included a long steep hill where some of the world's best runners do their hill training.  This did not stop Joyce Chepkirui from setting a stunning new course record of 16:17!  What is equally amazing is that sans advertising, 700 ladies simply turned up to register for the race two days prior to the event, just because they knew Shoe4Africa was there for them.  

Due to kind donations, we were able to give nearly 400 pairs of running shoes away at this event.  THANK YOU!  Check out this great video of the event from the National Kenyan Television [link].






 

School Opening - NUMBER 2!

The Shoe4Africa Janeth Jepkosgei School was officially opened on December 23, 2011.  Thank you to our generous sponsors who all funded school number one as well and the laptops that we again gave out to the school.  It was a fun day of speeches, celebration, theater, dance and song.  Many of the area's top athletes came to the opening as did the Head of Kenyan Athletics, Isaiah Kiplagat.

Our school replaces the old run down Kapsumbeiywo public primary school.  In January, as the new term opened, 50 NEW students merely turned up wishing to enroll in the 'new' school, now the best in the area.  Second day, same thing....  This shows that these schools are used to their fullest and are desperately needed in rural Kenya.

Geoffrey Mutai at our pasta party... Then he wins the NYC Marathon in style!  (any correlation?)

Nicole Fuchs and Nikki Quinn sit with the Boston Marathon 2011 winners, Caroline Kilel and Geoffrey Mutai.  We must have been serving 'fast food' as Geoffrey then took two minutes off the old course record at the world's most prestigious marathon!

 
 

Shoes needed... please

SHOES, SHOES, SHOES..... CALL OUT FOR....

This is a New Year request, specifically to women's running clubs.  Our number one need is good quality running shoes for ladies sized [average] US 7.5-9, or UK 6.5-7.5.  That is not so say we don't need other sizes, but, but, but... if you are a club and can do a shoedrive that would be absolutely great.

People often email in and say "We can't afford the postage, can you?"  Well the truth is we are asking the sender, as part of the donation to include postage.  Over in Kenya we have to pay income tax on every pair received.  Also we do not have any sponsor paying for this part of our program.  So please consider doing a mini-fund raiser (bake sale, contribution box, raffle etc) to offset the costs.

For people wanting to do a mass collection we advise you choose soles4souls.org who are a much larger Org with finances for this operation.  Our shoes go directly to small rural/slum events where Africans have to partake in an athletic event to receive a pair.

Just think, your one pair of shoes that you could send might change the life of one person, for the better... and the postage is probably the price of two Starbucks Lattes!  Make Change

December in Kenya, lots going on

The Shoe4Africa IMAN cosmetics Make-Over program in Kibera

So this event was on Dec 19th... it seems like a year ago.  We were honored that International model "Ajuma" - Kenya's most famous model who has worked with many of the world's top designers, and continues to work with Vivienne Westwood.

It was a whirlwind week because we took a photographer, Mike Kobal, with us and the first day he arrived were walking round Kibera visiting the homes of the ladies who were participating.  The following day was the day of the project and that took all morning.  Soonafter it was meeting with our lawyer before jumping in the car and driving up to Nakuru.  Just before Nakuru the car had some issues and we literally limped into Lanet before having an art competition at the Patrick Chege Orphan's Memorial Home.    Pictures from this event are coming soon!

The next day we were off again but had serious car issues again (same problem) getting up to Eldoret.  The delay was meaning that were unable to change money and buy food for the planned next day's Feeding project.  The journey took double the usual time, but we were really relieved to finally get there, to Iten... albeit many hours later.  The car meanwhile was left at a garage in Eldoret.  Thanks to Chris Cheboiboch who drove us to Iten.

The next day I had to visit the new director of the hospital I am partnering with, and that meeting went great - we also took a brief tour of the hospital.  Then with the two Luke's (world champion Luke Kibet & Commonwealth Games Champ Luke Kipkosgei) we set off into deep deep countryside along with my friend Haron lagat, who lives in Lubbock Texas.  And of course Siamanda who was on all and every project of course!!

Sponsored by board member Stacey Kelly and her husband Hal we had a fantastic event in the  Marakwet district.  The road was so bad that even one of our pick-ups, a Toyota landcruiser pick-up, got stuck in the mud!!  Many hungry children were given big bags of Sugar and rice - commodities that they have been missing.  This is also the area where Sally Kipyego lives, and we announced that a Shoe4Africa School will be built here in honor of how far Sally has traveled!

We got back dusty, dirty and tired.  The next day I spent sorting out shoes to give out at the race and fixing race logistics.  We started the registration for the race.  With very little publicity 700 women turned up to register on the very first day.  Wow, Siamanda and I had been making posters that we planned to put up around Iten but we did not even bother!  Mike helped us sort the shoes - a very dirty job and one that took the whole morning.  In the afternoon we went into Eldoret to meet Claudio Berardelli who helps me with S4A.  Leaving his house were escaped a road accident by a fraction as a drunk driver sped through a junction weaving all over the road, ten seconds later he also nearly collided with a 10-ton truck.  Eldoret had run dry of gasoline and it a gridlock town of narrow streets we dove from gas station to gas station till we finally managed, at the sixth place, to fill the tank.  After a run in with a mercedes who was driving on the wrong side of the road, we finally got back to Iten to resume jobs with the race.

The next morning we finally managed to get a run in!  A quick 30-minutes but it was great to stretch the legs.  Soon after we jumped into the car to drive to the home of Janeth Jepkosgei where we have built our second school.  We opened the school along with the Head of Athletics Kenya, Mr. Isaiah Kiplagat who came as he lives very close by, also a Bishop.  Great to see many friends and nice to walk around the new school and think of the next generation of kids who will attend this establishment.  Martin Lel, whom we built the first school for, also dropped by with many of the other elite athletes.  Driving back to Eldoret we stopped at the hospital for Mike to capture some more pics.  Our car was now working great!  Thank goodness as we were driving distances a lot!

The next morning I was up at dawn, when I woke I could not remember what I had to do... was it a school to open, orphans art, people to feed, shoes to hand out?  Serious, I was so so so tired and wiped out that it took moments before I clicked.... 'Ah yes, a race!'  I jumped out of bed, loaded the car with all the T shirts, 1200, and drove to the registration place to set up a base, back for breakfast, back with the poles for the set up etc etc... the race was simply amazing and I was shocked how fast Joyce ran to win, if you could see the course - Gosh!  The media were great and over the last few days had been providing me with lots of coverage on the TV and the newspapers.  My fully charged phone battery went flat continually as my phone was ringing constantly... but there were no hitches - I have to say a big big thanks to the many volunteers who stepped up on race day to help, many of the international runners who were staying in Iten!

So that has been the last few days... now let me take a breath and drink my favorite Kenyan coffee --

Asante, thanks for being a friend of Shoe4Africa

Race Wrap - Dec 4th 2011

I was thinking how best to describe this... we put on this event with two weeks... I just received another check; it is shocking the financial goodwill and the people goodwill this little race made.  two weeks - I did not think we'd fill up, most of the running community had signed up for the NYRR race 2km away with thousands of runners.  I bugged and begged people, then I found myself emailing asking 'Do you really want to run as I have people imploring me for a spot in the race."

There was nothing fancy about the race, a simple 5km in a small park, but there was something magical about the day... My first example would be Jo Ann Mannino of the New York Flyers.  Jo Ann emailed in the week and asked if she could help.  She came early and was the go-to person for volunteers, taking charge, working hard and making all the volunteers at ease.  Phew; what a great help.  I come home and check the email, I see someone has made a three figure donation to Shoe4Africa a couple of hours after the race, I look.. it is Jo Ann!

That spirit happened just as I write this, another runner, Bernd Erpenbeck, just made a $200 donation, he came ran and then boom - wow.  My friend Kerri-Ann McTiernan from F.I.T. came early too to help and she brought the staff from FIT, "When I told them, they all volunteered, wanted to help..."  It is a wonderful thing, and a needed thing, I feel - and it is great when you can combine running for a good cause and having a good time, and the resounding feedback was people felt it.

****Please check out all the photos on facebook.com/shoe4africa****

Thanks also to Anil & Jerry from Urban Athletics, and to my board members Mason Haupt & Ilan Stern who were most active in getting the sponsors from the financial world.  Gold level thanks to The men of Soros,Bank of America, and Barclays.  Silver level thanks to Morgan Stanley.

Krystelle Buenafe, who is currently collecting running shoes for us, embodying the spirit of the day

Shoe4Africa race results 5km, Dec 5th 2011

 


		Page 1
                             Shoes for Africa
                       Riverside Park, New York City
                          Sunday, December 4,2011
                      Timing by: SuperRaceSystems.com


Place Name                    Time    Pace  
===== ======================= ======= ===== 
    1 Jason Lakritz             15:55  5:08 
    2 Daniel Renahan            16:09  5:12 
    3 Jason Holder              16:11  5:13 
    4 Joshua Lerch              16:23  5:17 
    5 Thomas Gatyas             17:01  5:29 
    6 Ed Stern                  17:18  5:34 
    7 John Slosson              17:24  5:37 
    8 David Martinelli          17:31  5:38 
    9 Ilan Stern                17:32  5:39 
   10 Tim Outyas                17:33  5:39 
   11 Laurel Wassner            17:39  5:41 
   12 Gitani Mwangi             18:06  5:50 
   13 Charles Scherr            18:09  5:51 
   14 Dennis Chopkins           18:22  5:55 
   15 Jan Noordin               18:30  5:58 
   16 Kevin Beganics            18:35  5:59 
   17 Fiona Bailey              18:48  6:03 
   18 Jordan Antebi             19:05  6:09 
   19 Donald Faver              19:07  6:10 
   20 Brenda Green              19:20  6:14 
   21 James Redmond             19:33  6:18 
   22 Alex Stone                19:35  6:18 
   23 Filip Meichsner           19:48  6:23 
   24 Samantha Segan            19:49  6:23 
   25 Drew Guthrie              20:02  6:27 
   26 Marshall Insley           20:08  6:29 
   27 Matthew Schwark           20:11  6:30 
   28 Tim Decker                20:16  6:32 
   29 Yariv Leers               20:20  6:33 
   30 Josh Coven                20:23  6:34 
   31 Mary Brown                20:24  6:34 
   32 Adam Yarnold              20:31  6:37 
   33 Dan Gonzales              20:39  6:39 
   34 Julie Valls               20:40  6:39 
   35 Ken Szcerkregar           20:46  6:41 
   36 Bernd Erpenbeck           20:47  6:42 
   37 Mark Bilsky               20:48  6:42 
   38 David Weill               20:49  6:42 
   39 Ira Berg                  20:50  6:43 
   40 Ross Neumann              20:56  6:44 
   41 Russ Charlton             21:02  6:46 
   42 Kate Pavlovich            21:09  6:49 
   43 Patrick Breslin           21:16  6:51 
   44 Piotr Marczewski          21:18  6:52 
   45 Larry Rahklin             21:18  6:52 
   46 Taylor Heinselman         21:20  6:52 
   47 J Kreirfrimphong          21:20  6:52 
   48 Jameson Allen             21:26  6:54 
   49 David Dietz               21:27  6:55 
   50 William Newton            21:29  6:55 
   51 Dave Kleckner             21:33  6:57 
   52 Theo Dassin               21:35  6:57 
   53 Eric Salvador             21:38  6:58 
   54 Sammy Schindel            21:49  7:02 
   55 Jonathan Schindel         21:50  7:02 
   56 Stanley Young             21:50  7:02 
   57 Kathleen Coughlin         21:52  7:03 
   58 Stephanie Spangler        22:07  7:07 
   59 Bobby Farmer              22:07  7:08 
   60 Robert Pasqual            22:15  7:10 
   61 Sean Cochran              22:23  7:13 
   62 Jan Noordin               22:28  7:14 
   63 Julie Buck                22:28  7:14 
   64 Michael Kreicher          22:31  7:15 
   65 Justin Model              22:33  7:16 
   66 Jamie Spadafor            22:34  7:16 
   67 Nicole Mallory            22:38  7:17 
   68 Nola Lawless              22:40  7:18 
   69 Albert Tsuei              22:43  7:19 
   70 Robert Cowin              22:48  7:21 
   71 Marc Simpson              22:55  7:23 
   72 Greg Holzman              22:56  7:23 
   73 Jonathan Fife             22:57  7:24 
   74 Ryan Stroker              22:58  7:24 
   75 Nikki Quinn               23:00  7:24 
   76 Megan Cartwright          23:00  7:25 
   77 Ted Epifano               23:00  7:25 
   78 Lauren Cochran            23:08  7:27 
   79 Tim Blaquiere             23:11  7:28 
   80 Masami Issever            23:14  7:29 
   81 Donald Cutler             23:24  7:32 
   82 Christine Bilsky          23:30  7:34 
   83 Kelly Carter              23:38  7:37 
   84 Beatrice Zovich           23:38  7:37 
   85 Tim Dukovich              23:39  7:37 
   86 Alec Franese              23:41  7:38 
   87 Brenda May                23:41  7:38 
   88 Ryan Kandrach             23:54  7:42 
   89 Kevia Wright              23:56  7:43 
   90 Debbie Panek              24:03  7:45 
   91 Harrison Isaac            24:03  7:45 
   92 Caitlin Mooney            24:04  7:45 
   93 Luiza Silva               24:05  7:46 
   94 Kathleen Crowley          24:06  7:46 
   95 David Isaac               24:12  7:48 
   96 Eddie Jacobs              24:13  7:48 
   97 Lisa Bergtraum            24:18  7:50 
   98 Francis Harrison          24:21  7:51 
   99 Stuart Alexander          24:22  7:51 
  100 Pinny Kahana              24:26  7:52 
  101 Yoni Lazarus              24:26  7:52 
  102 Michael Hamilton          24:46  7:58 
  103 Robert Frank              24:48  7:59 
  104 Kevin Freeburn            24:53  8:01 
  105 Karen Frome               24:53  8:01 
  106 Melissa Klein             24:56  8:02 
  107 Jacqueline Wolfson        24:58  8:02 
  108 Laura Gonzales            24:59  8:03 
  109 Joyce Perley              25:11  8:07 
  110 Marty Munston             25:16  8:08 
  111 Nat Oppenheimer           25:21  8:10 
  112 Hannah McCulloch          25:23  8:10 
  113 Sarah Cappy               25:25  8:11 
  114 Lauren Buckley            25:27  8:12 
  115 Micky Rediy               25:27  8:12 
  116 Hillary Burke             25:31  8:13 
  117                           25:32  8:14 
  118 Greg Safron               25:35  8:15 
  119 Susie Lee                 25:45  8:18 
  120 Siamanda Chege            25:49  8:19 
  121 David Brinker             25:50  8:19 
  122 Toby Tanser               25:53  8:20 
  123 Chris Cazier              25:58  8:22 
  124 Morgan Hase               25:58  8:22 
  125 Nayeem Azam               26:01  8:23 
  126 Branden Avishar           26:01  8:23 
  127 Nina Shum                 26:06  8:24 
  128 Mac Resurreccion          26:19  8:28 
  129 Betsy Fader               26:19  8:29 
  130 Jacob Eisestein           26:20  8:29 
  131 Bryan Chao                26:22  8:29 
  132 Lori Favre                26:28  8:32 
  133 Joseph Krasner            26:33  8:33 
  134 Krystelle Buenase         26:35  8:34 
  135 David Siegel              26:37  8:35 
  136 Andrew Brady              26:38  8:35 
  137 Candice Mason             26:51  8:39 
  138 Ger Lavery                26:52  8:39 
  139 Christopher Garvie        26:57  8:41 
  140 Elaine Goldstein          27:04  8:43 
  141 John Fleisher             27:12  8:46 
  142                           27:14  8:46 
  143 Ryan Stroker              27:20  8:48 
  144 Casey Riley               27:25  8:50 
  145 Ben Simmons               27:36  8:53 
  146 Rachel Isaac              27:38  8:54 
  147 Mike Sharp                27:45  8:56 
  148 Tina Quu                  27:47  8:57 
  149 Colleen Baucom            27:56  9:00 
  150 Hakan Durantas            27:57  9:00 
  151 Wendy Yang                27:59  9:01 
  152 Emily Kozak               28:00  9:01 
  153 Victoria Cirillo          28:15  9:06 
  154 Matt Spoerlein            28:15  9:06 
  155 Steven Beck               28:20  9:07 
  156 Esrae Bailey              28:22  9:08 
  157 Tony Edwards              28:23  9:09 
  158 Jamie Brokowsky           28:28  9:10 
  159 Michael Doft              28:28  9:10 
  160 Marc Freschl              28:31  9:11 
  161 Jeff Ladrow               28:36  9:13 
  162 Gary Litt                 28:43  9:15 
  163 Murray Maleh              28:46  9:16 
  164 Mark Tsearsky             29:18  9:26 
  165 Heidi Ladrow              29:23  9:28 
  166 Kelly Smith               29:30  9:30 
  167 David Wong                29:37  9:32 
  168 George Hirsch             29:58  9:39 
  169 Terry Trucco              30:13  9:44 
  170 Clare Garvie              30:15  9:45 
  171 Kevin Ng                  30:16  9:45 
  172 Marvin Coleman            30:36  9:51 
  173 Irene Yen                 30:39  9:52 
  174 Heidi Isip                30:47  9:55 
  175 Dunn Maroh                30:47  9:55 
  176 Shaw Sage                 30:49  9:55 
  177 James Hull                30:52  9:57 
  178 David Hull                30:52  9:57 
  179 Lynn Tirey                30:55  9:57 
  180 Crystal Slattery          30:56  9:58 
  181 James Mozur               30:59  9:59 
  182 Kato Pasbzian             31:06 10:01 
  183 Amanda Dresen             31:10 10:02 
  184 Jeff Phizitski            31:14 10:04 
  185 Luisi Colon               31:16 10:04 
  186 Kapo Li                   31:18 10:05 
  187 Ambrose Price III         31:31 10:09 
  188 Flora Engevic             31:32 10:09 
  189 Casey Buie                31:33 10:10 
  190 Lauren Miell              31:34 10:10 
  191 Lawrence Choe             31:42 10:13 
  192 Carol Chan                31:45 10:14 
  193 Nora Barak                31:58 10:18 
  194 Kim Cauchon               32:27 10:27 
  195 Rebecca Davis             32:28 10:27 
  196 Michele Reich             32:42 10:32 
  197 Dierdre Cossman           33:10 10:41 
  198 Jane Siskin               33:13 10:42 
  199 Davis Haupt               33:27 10:46 
  200 Mason Haupt               33:32 10:48 
  201 Brittany Cheek            33:44 10:52 
  202 Norman Maleh              33:57 10:56 
  203 Rahul Sabarwal            34:07 10:59 
  204 Maria Chale               34:09 11:00 
  205 Shalini Sabarwal          34:15 11:02 
  206 Sydney Saracheck          34:29 11:06 
  207 Melissa Kaplan            34:30 11:07 
  208 Daniel Lefkowitz          34:30 11:07 
  209 Kaly Odelia               35:03 11:17 
  210 Geri Haupt                35:24 11:24 
  211 Dominique Mollieta        35:26 11:25 
  212 Stephanie Edwards         35:26 11:25 
  213 Michelle Maleh            35:28 11:25 
  214 Liz Hynes                 35:43 11:30 
  215 Will Sanchez              36:02 11:36 
  216 Sarah Heller              36:32 11:46 
  217 Carolina Rodriquez        36:40 11:48 
  218 Esme Edwards              36:52 11:52 
  219 Valdi Sapira              37:16 12:00 
  220 Alison Foster             37:20 12:01 
  221 Gemma Hart                37:21 12:02 
  222 Steve Estrine             37:22 12:02 
  223 Jennifer MacMillan        37:23 12:02 
  224 Emily Park                37:28 12:04 
  225 Unknown                   37:47 12:10 
  226 Caroline Lauwerys         37:47 12:10 
  227 Amy Castro                38:51 12:31 
  228 Ethan Stein               39:48 12:49 
  229 Arvind Mohan              40:13 12:57 
  230 Carmelo Puccia            40:46 13:07 
  231 Jim Ragusa                42:12 13:35 
  232 Julian Antebi             42:59 13:50 
  233 Nicole Fuchs              44:44 14:24 
  234 Ellen Pinschmidt          47:33 15:19 
  235 Sarlotta Vidal            47:34 15:19 
  236 Linda Maleh               48:34 15:38 


World AIDS Day

Today is the World's AIDs Awareness day.  One great thing about about the 'world' per se is that you are not a jack-of-all-trades.  In the fight against AIDS there are teams, multitudes, hundreds of thousands of people 'doing stuff' to make AIDS HIV virus a part of 'our' history.  Perhaps the most important people are the scientists, locked away in labs, under stairs, in dark rooms, you can just imagine with a test tube and a chemistry kit dropping antidotes into vials...  And then there are the medics who work on the ground, in places where AIDS is rampant, healing and curing.  When I think of these medics I also think of the people who work with Cholera etc - what a noble set of people.  Then you have the lobbyists who look for the funds for all this work, often sitting in a small cramped office in Washington, or wherever, fighting for funds for people to do this work... Gosh I could go on all day.

With Shoe4Africa our (v small) angle is mostly to do with education and awareness; de-stigmatizing the disease in an area of the world where you become an outcast to the society if you are found to be suffering from the disease.  You are treated like a leper instead of a victim of a cruel disease.  Many of the transmission cases are because 'you' have been raped; but that will not help.  There is also a huge lack of information about the disease as no one really understands the ins & outs of AIDS.  In 2006 when we produced our first brochure in the Kalenjin tongue I received a ton of mail from people thanking me that for the first time they had information that not only could they understand, but also that they could give to their fathers.

Anyway today I am thinking of Josephine, and her speech, back in that same year.   She stood in front of thousands in her town and said, "I have the HIV virus.  When I did not know I became sick.  I reduced weight and went down 20-kgs in weight.  I did not know what was wrong and thought I was going to die.  When I discovered what was wrong I went and got help, free drugs, and now I have gained that weight back and am living a healthy life.  I am a normal person."  A normal person; yes indeed... and a courageous one too... as the fight is a long way from being won.

Josephine, back in action, in 2006

Sign up for the inaugural Shoe4Africa NYC 5km

Space is very limited and the incentives are great.  The value of the shirt alone, outweighs the entry as we want to kick off in style.  So please come out and run with us.  I have a dream that one day this race will be big, Run for Africa... but right now I am happy with just 250 people, so please sign up.. and thanks to Bank Of America for coming in with sponsorship!  It is all last minute, we got the permit five days ago!

Shoe4Africa Pasta Party 2011

Rebeccah, Caroline Kilel winner of Boston 2011, Dr. Josephine, Permanent sec. to the UN, Adharanand Finn, Geoffrey Mutai winner of Boston 2011,  The Kenyan Ambassador to the USA and Caroline Rotich, winner of the 2011 NYC Half Marathon.

The Shoe4Africa pasta party was great fun, it was our third annual, and our biggest, hosted in Anthony Edwards apartment - we had 100 people show up - our great team of runners and it was wonderful to see the event supported by the Kenyan runners.  Sally Kipyego, the 2011 World Championships silver medalist, also came by.  Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen too!   Footnote - Adharanand is writing a book about Kenyans coming out next year!  It will be called... Running with the Kenyans... AND a few years earlier??

Here is Caroline running in a Shoe4Africa event back in 2006

The ING New York City Marathon, and our fab runners!

With one week to go I am getting ready for marathon week.  My focus has changed starting with when I first came to NYC and ran as an invited 'elite' as a comeback award from adversity, and always working with the medias and the race.  I have done many jobs starting with working with journalism, commentating, web work, photography, then working with the invited runners in the hospitality capacity [including three runs a day in Central Park with different elites making sure they don't get lost - I can tell you Kenyans rarely taper!], many more jobs and of course coaching!

 

Jody Crabtree in action

Now, since 2009, we have had a Shoe4Africa running team!  It has been wonderful getting to know the many people who have gotten involved and this year has been no different - we have an ace team.

Barbara Rose in her team colors

If you go to our sponsor a runner tab you can see the list, but this morning I am just browsing; Barbara Rose above is over $5,000, as is Dave Siegel {again for us!}, and Jody Crabtree, wow, Jody is over ten thousand dollars, ten K!  Malcolm Warne and Dale Moberly are over $4,000 and I can see many many runners between $2-$3k.  You guys are stepping up and making it happen; thank you so very much!  

So please if you are out there on Marathon day and you see a Shoe4Africa runner zipping by please give them a shout, ass they are running to help the kids of Kenya! 

The wall of Fame, and the walls of our school #2

Firstly thank thank thank you to everyone on this most amazing list!  *JUST CLICK HERE TO SEE* the massive list of people who have donated to the hospital project.  The list would be bigger with our other kind donors too.  But with this ever stretching page (that gets manually updated, thanks Urban!) comes the outstanding memory that in 2008 there was ZERO dollars.  Then there were three names and $700, and from that day, bit by bit, or brick like brick as I like to think, people have stood up to make the difference.

I was just writing a note to my marathon team, the 61-runners who will run 26.2 miles for Team Shoe4Africa in less than three weeks,and saying to them: The highest rates of child mortality are still in Sub-Saharan Africa—where 1 in 8 children dies before age 5, more than 20 times the average for industrialized countries. 

Could there be a correlation to the fact East Africa does not have a single public Children’s hospital?

Well that wall of names, the many names, shows me that I am not alone in believing so.  The time for action has long since reached its sell-by date.  We can do something fantastic, please join me!

And, a further update - here is the latest photo of Janeth's School - you can see the third roof is being put on the classrooms to the left.  

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