I will be in Bath, England, at the end of February/early March (more on that later). I discovered the Bath Half Marathon will be held while I’m there. I can’t pass up that opportunity! I try to run two or three half marathons a year; why not run one in England? I’ve never even run a half outside of Minnesota, so it’s time to go international!

But I’m really excited because this is the first run I have ever done for charity. Over the years I’ve seen charity runners at different events and always thought it was a fantastic way to raise money for a good cause.

The Bath Half Marathon supports dozens of charities. It might even be a couple of hundred; I scrolled through a pretty long list to choose from! All were worthwhile. But the one I settled on was for African Initiatives.

Now, I’ve never been to Africa. I know pretty little about Africa. I have some close friends who’ve been there, so thanks to stories from Margie, Kara, Scott, Dave, Becky and Ann, I have some decent second-hand knowledge. I know people on the continent face some major challenges, especially women and girls. That speaks to me.

I also had just finished A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout. She writes about the 15 months she spent as a hostage in Somalia, much of that time tortured. Yet, she now runs a charity that supports education efforts in Somalia. I was really struck by this one person taking a terrible situation and trying to do some good.

Here’s more information on the charity I chose to support, African Initiatives: “African Initiatives is a small but effective social justice organization working with communities in Africa. They work with partners in Ghana and Tanzania to empower individuals and communities to demand their rights with education being an integral part of all their projects overseas. Their work concentrates on girl’s education, women’s rights, health education, sustainable livelihoods, land rights and supporting youth at risk.”

I already have pledges for 40 percent of my goal. I know I can count on family and friends who generously support social justice initiatives to help me get to 100 percent. I know a lot of people, so even a donation of $5 would help tremendously in getting me to my goal! Here are ways the money can be used:

• A $5 donation: Buys a bowl of ground nuts for an African woman to plant.
• A $15 donation: Allows a vulnerable girl to escape arranged marriage and gain skills and experience.

If you are really generous: 🙂

• A $40 donation: buys a goat for livestock production projects in Ghana which can help lift a woman out of poverty and support her children’s education.
• A $60 donation: supports a teaching intern with food, accommodation and transportation for one month at a primary or nursery school in Tanzania.
• A $70 donation: allows one more girl to live safely in a dormitory.

The “Donate” button to the left should take you directly to my Just Giving page, where donation is quick and easy. I appreciate the consideration. Thank you!

African Initiatives is a LTD Registered Charity No. 1064413, located in Bristol, UK.