SHOE4AFRICA

Small steps empower the Girl Child in rural Kenya. At the Mary Keitany Shoe4Africa Secondary School in Torokwonin, Baringo County, life for Form Two student Sharon Ngetich is a daily struggle. In this remote region, a cup of clean water is a precious luxury, food is often scarce, and electricity remains an unfulfilled dream at Sharon’s home. Despite these harsh conditions which have followed her throughout her life, Sharon rises each morning with a relentless drive to change her future. Sharon's journey to school is no easy feat, she dreams of next year, form three, when she may be able to board at school. No roads reach her school; instead, a rugged, rocky path that takes a 4x4 truck half an hour to travel less than ten kilometers is her only route. Yet, these obstacles have not deterred her spirit. Inspired by the former Marathon World record holder, Mary Keitany, who was born also in abject poverty and just a kilometer away on top of a hill known as the "hill that nobody climbs," Sharon, like Mary, has resolved to use athletics as a means to transform her life. She is not waiting for others to help her; she helps herself Every morning, before the sun rises, Sharon laces up her worn-out shoes and begins to run. Her dedication to the sport is unwavering, and she has managed to make a name for herself in school competitions, consistently emerging victorious. Her success at these events spurred her to aim higher, and last month she qualified for the county championships, where she again came out on top. Her journey did not stop there. Sharon's talent and determination earned her a place at the prestigious North Rift Championships, a region known as the home of the world's best distance runners. Competing against some of the toughest athletes, Sharon secured an impressive fourth place in the 400m hurdles. Her achievement has also inspired her schoolmates, demonstrating that success through education and sports is attainable, even in the most challenging circumstances. In a rural area where a daily wage can be as low as a couple of dollars, Sharon's perseverance is inspiring. To recognize her efforts and inspire her further, we awarded her a modest prize of $40. This prize, while small in the USA, is substantial for Sharon, and it symbolizes that hard work pays. Mary Keitany reminded Sharon that when she was her age she never had been given any money, and pointing to Sharon’s shoes, Mary told her that she was shoeless at that age. Sharon Ngetich’s story at what is the fifth school we have built in Kenya is not just about athletic prowess; it is a story of the power of dreams. She is the first child in the school to travel out of her county and despite the odds stacked against her, her race proved that determination in athletics and discipline in schooling will open unexpected doors, even to the child born into poverty. Pic: Sharon and the four time New York City Marathon champ, Mary Keitany. #girlchild #all4running #shoe4africa

It is perhaps the world’s most famous dirt running track, the starting line for dreamers and aspirants. There’ll never be world records set at this stadium despite the abundance of world class stars who come here for training. Kamariny Stadium is not just any sporting arena; it's a symbol of Kenya's rich running culture. Iten, located in the Rift Valley, has produced some of the world's greatest long-distance runners, including Olympic and World Champions. For young Kenyan children, running here is akin to stepping onto hallowed ground, connecting them to a legacy of athletic prowess and inspiring them to dream big. Runners like David Rudisha, Wilson Kipketer, Mary Keitany, Florence and Edna Kiplagat, Shaheen…even the great Mo Farah, when training for London 2012 was often seen at this stadium that would be certainly demolished and forgotten for any high school in America. But a new, snazzy, stadium would be missing the point. Here is where you, as an athlete, come to build your strength. Train on this track, with its sticky, slippery mud, and its gasping high altitude, and when you come to your competition elsewhere, the race becomes easy. Train Hard, Win Easy. On Saturday, we took our All4ARunning team for a morning of training, to instill beliefs and start the journey. This is the future of Kenya Running. Our kids aged five to fifteen love running. The sport holds immense value for the kids, transcending physical exercise and tapping into a deep cultural and aspirational vein. Listening to the stories of kids you can’t underestimate the Escape and Empowerment: For many children growing up here, running offers an escape from the challenges of daily life. It provides a sense of freedom and empowerment, where they can momentarily leave behind socioeconomic hardships and focus solely on their athletic potential. The All4Running club is a transformative experience that instills pride, ambition, and a sense of belonging that, when we listen to the kids, was missing in their lives. The club embodies the power of sport to uplift communities, break down barriers and open up opportunities, and, yes, we are nurturing the next generation of champions, both on and off the track. #all4running #nyrr #tscnycmarathon #iten #Kenya #kidsinsport

Shoe4Africa is primarily recognized for our hospital and school projects, but we also have a flourishing youth empowerment program centered around the sport of running. I owe a debt of gratitude to All4Running, our program sponsors, and the New York Road Runners. As a former board member of the NYRR, I closely observed the development of their Rising New York Runners projects (#RisingNYRR) from 2000 to 2017, and I was inspired to replicate their successes by establishing a similar program in Africa. Further than the article, also check out this short video about the All4Running kids project https://lnkd.in/dgC2RpSZ #nyrr #all4running #kidsdevelopment