Shoe4Africa – Empowerment through sports
Running Coach Urban is a proud supporter of SHOE4AFRICA for nearly 10 years now. SHOE4AFRICA was founded 1995 by Toby Tanser, an elite runner who got lost on foot in Kenya while training and discovered true charity and support from the people of Kenya.
SHOE4AFRICA started small by encouraging local runners to collect used trainers, taking them over to Africa, and raising health awareness. Over the years SHOE4AFRICA‘s initiatives to help the Kenyan people have spanned AIDS awareness, building schools, developing education programmes, to women’s empowerment and peace initiatives.
Now SHOE4AFRICA has a big goal: to build Africa’s first ever public children’s hospital. Children are still dying of diarrhoea, malaria and diseases. These could be easily treated and cured if healthcare facilities were more accessible in Kenya. Children’s parents have no money nor a place to turn to for help and care!
Today in sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 7 children will die before their 5th birthday, most without ever seeing a health care professional. Two thirds from these deaths are from preventable diseases.
SHOE4AFRICA want to change this and the children’s hospital will be a vital step forward; the key for reducing death among children in Kenya. Building and operating a hospital costs a lot of money and we need all the help we can get.
SHOE4AFRICA unique model, where 100% of the funds raised go to direct support for basic needs in Kenya, means that SHOE4AFRICA rely heavily on donations and volunteers from the United States, Europe and Africa.
Please join me in this mission by donating funds or volunteering your time and energy to make the hospital a reality. You can sign up to help, donate and volunteer at www.shoe4africa.org. Like our Facebook Shoe4Africa page and check out the latest videos on the Shoe4Africa YouTube channel about the impact Shoe4Africa is making in Kenya.
How does RunUrban help SHOE4AFRICA?
Our view is that it is very important that every athlete has a purpose when competing. Some run for themselves, some run for pure pleasure, some run to get a PB and some run for a worthy cause. Running for a worthy cause is a great way of enriching your running and giving your running a purpose by giving back.
Through sport, as runners we inspire others and we can act responsibly as good citizens to improve and help others in need around the world. As runners we are true change makers!
“Philanthropy is important to me. I give time, skills, raise awareness and funds for building the Shoe4Africa Children’s hospital, Africa’s very first paediatric teaching hospital of its kind.
One way to get the athletes I coach committed to their running goal is enhancing their running by giving it a purpose. Making runners part of Team Shoe4Africa serves a double purpose – athletes will receive top class coaching while SHOE4AFRICA will receive a monthly donation.
This strengthens the athlete’s will to prepare and commitment. Making a donation for coaching ensures both sides – coach and athletes – making personal and physical sacrifices to get the best out of themselves.”
As those fortunate enough involved in sport and running we need to do everything possible to turn the vision of building a children’s hospital in Eldoret, Kenya into reality. That’s why I am involved in Shoe4Africa.”, says Coach Urban.
Run Coach Urban and Team Shoe4Africa at 5th Avenue