Soon turning 50!..........and what better way to celebrate than to live that dream of running a marathon in Africa and fundraising for children with disabilities.

Running the Rift Marathon in Uganda is my first ever marathon and hopefully I will have put in sufficient training to achieve my goal of non-stop running, completion and survival! 

What the organisers Ellie and Paul say about the marathon - Running the Rift Marathon is a trail run through spectacular scenery where the Great Rift Valley meets  the UNESCO World Heritage Rwenzori Mountains, near the town of Fort Portal. Amazing African trails, stunning hills and excited local children to cheer runners along. Running the Rift Marathon is truly the perfect African running experience. 100% not for profit with all proceeds going to a local charity working with disabled children.

Why Africa? Always has and always will hold a special place in my heart. As a young child I dreamed of traveling in Africa and in my early 20's traveled in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa for a year. Most memorable was my time spent working at KGVI School for physically disabled children in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Despite extreme poverty and the hardships of their disabilities, the teachers had succeeded in creating a school with children full of hope, happiness, creativity, endless amounts of courage and togetherness! It was truly a privilege to be a part of that community so deeply and firmly committed to the development and care of each individual child. 

Why support Kyaninga Child Development Centre? Based in Fort Portal, in the Kabarole District of western Uganda, KCDC was established to provide much needed high quality, specialised and affordable assessment, treatment, education and support to children with disabilities to enable them to lead more independent lives. These children depend on KCDC and KCDC depend on the support of donors, sponsors and well-wishers to meet their running costs. When I first read about Kyaninga Child Development Centre it brought back all those wonderful memories of my time at KGVI in Bulawayo. 25 years later and with just as much enthusiasm and passion for supporting children with disabilities, this marathon was without doubt the one for me. Among marginalized groups, children with disabilities still sadly remain the most excluded group throughout the world. KCDC and their children need all the support they can get to carry on and develop their inclusive education plan. We're going to help them.......aren't we :) 

Check out this link to learn more about the work of KCDC 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRz4p-DQprU

What else are we getting up to whilst in Uganda? After arriving at Entebbe Airport we'll be jumping in to a taxi and driving about 400km to Simba Safari Camp in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Having trekked and trucked across the savannah for 5 days we'll be moving on to Fort Portal in the western region of Uganda. Running the Rift have put together a 5 day action-packed itinerary with crater lake jogging, night before marathon carb party, KCDC Special Olympics and more. Finally we'll be driving to Lake Victoria and staying at Explorers River Camp in Jinja. One day volunteer work helping with a refurbishment project at a local school. One day horseback riding on the hills overlooking the Nile River Valley. And what better way to finish our trip than go white-water rafting at the source of the Nile. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my Running the Rift JustGiving page! Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the Kyaninga CDC Trust. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Many many thanks for your kind support! I'll be posting updates whilst in Uganda. So please do follow!

Asante sana :)

Nigel