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Issue 40 | Summer 2010

The Women’s Edition

Also inside:‘Our light of hope’: Nyassimo Jamillah and the Buliisa

Orphans Project A Health Club for all: Mrs Kimaniand the children of Echariria The remarkable

women of the Village Savings and Loans Associations

The need for protection:how sanitary care is improving

the lives of African girls

27829 Habari Newsletter:Layout 1 24/06/10 09:12

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your thoughts, comments and opinions:

Build Africa, 27 Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1HT, United Kingdom.

Tel: +44 (0)1892 519619 or Freephone 0800 652 62 94 Fax: +44 (0)1892 529029

Email: [email protected]

www.build-africa.org

Build Africa is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England No. 2200793

Registered Charity No. 298316

Habari © Copyright BUILD AFRICA 2010

Editor’s letterWelcome to the Summer 2010 Women’s Edition of Habari.Gender equality is naturally a primary objective of all ofBuild Africa’s programmes. We believe that education isa fundamental human right that every child is entitled toand that improved income opportunities should be equallyavailable to men and women.

Specifically, through the Build a School programme, weaddress the issues that cause girls to drop out of school,such as the need for improved sanitation and access tosanitary pads. We lobby for more female teachers andsupport the great work teachers are doing championingthe needs of female students. We also promote a teachertraining programme that considers the specific learningneeds of girls as well as boys.

Our income generating projects have been particularlypopular with the women in the community. They accountfor more than 70% of our Village Savings and LoansAssociation scheme members for example. Similarly, theBuliisa Orphans Project is providing a lifeline to the womenof all ages afflicted with HIV/AIDS, as well as to the mothersand grandmothers who have been left as the sole guardiansof their families due to the epidemic.

Our programmes succeed because we partner withinspirational individuals. In this edition we feature aselection of women whose spirit and resourcefulness isgiving hope to the impoverished rural communities ofKenya and Uganda. Women like Kimani Martha, IculetSelina, Panina Wambua, Nyassimo Jamillah: these are justsome of the voices that need to be heard if change is totake place at all. I hope you enjoy reading their stories.

Chris PearsonEditor, Habari


Nyassimo Jamillah lives in the remoteand rural District of Buliisa in Uganda.Hundreds of kilometres from the capitaland with no local road network, its villagecommunities feel well and truly cut offfrom the rest of the country. Bordered onthe west by Lake Albert, the livelihoods ofthe local people depend on a precariousrelationship with lake and land (fishingand tobacco cultivation being their mainsources of income).

The district has been badly hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with 26% of its populationcurrently affected by the virus (comparedwith a national average of 6.4% of thepopulation). The reasons are complex,but the sex trade that exists amongstLake Albert’s fishing communities andthe large number of people displacedby wars in the Democratic Republicof Congo and northern Uganda aresignificant contributory factors. The resultis an orphan population of over 16,000.The poverty, emotional devastation,and other hardships brought about bylosing one’s parents means that the careand protection of orphans in Buliisa,as elsewhere in Uganda, should be ofparamount importance. But financialresources are limited. Also, because ofits remote location the district is amongthose considered hard to reach by thegovernment and as a result not enough isdone to support its vulnerable children.

A mother of six, Jamillah provides for thebasic needs of her children through hermeagre farming income. She becamethe sole provider to the family when herhusband passed away:

“The turning point in my life was inApril 2005 when my husband died aftersuffering a long illness due to HIV/AIDS.We were left poorer as most of the assetswe had bought over the years were soldoff to save his life. But it was in vain. NowI provide every need in this household”.

The Buliisa Orphans Project is addressingthe need for support. Its goal is to improvethe lives of orphans and vulnerablechildren by encouraging incomegeneration through Village Savings andLoans Associations and better diet bydonating seeds and training farmers

in more modern agricultural practices.Gardens are supplying families who carefor orphans with the nutrition they need.In addition, the project promotes childprotection awareness by educating thecarers and their children about children’srights.

Jamillah says, “Before support from theBuliisa Orphans Project, life was hard tolive. It was hard for me to provide fooddaily to my family, access medical careand school materials for my children. Idepended on casual work whenever anopportunity showed up. Our light of hopewas seen when Build Africa, through theOrphans Project, started supplying mecassava stems and bean seeds and trainingme in the methods of the Village Savingsand Loans Association. Now we have foodand financial help to support the orphansand vulnerable children in our families.”

Jamilla’s life has been turned around.Used to the precarious life of a subsistencefarmer, she now hopes to increase heragricultural production, selling surplusproduce to improve the family income.With this newly found income she cansend her children to school. She can alsodare to hope that their ambitions willcome true:

“We work together as a family andI am trying to teach my children tounderstand the value of education. Everyday after school I try to help my childrenunderstand what they learnt at school. Allof the older children have a dream: Abduwants to be an aeroplane engineer, Zabairwants to be a bus driver, Sulaiman wantsto be a teacher and Jamillah (my onlydaughter) wants to be a nurse”.

Jamillah’s sons help with the peeling of the cassava

‘Our lightof hope’:Nyassimo Jamillahand the BuliisaOrphans Project

Habari Summer 2010 The Women’s Edition | 3


Build Africa works with local communitiesto ensure that every child, regardless ofgender, has access to a quality education.The education of girls is a priority. InUganda and Kenya, as elsewhere in thedeveloping world, a variety of factorswork against female education, includingingrained beliefs and practices that failto appreciate the value of sending girlsto school. As Panina Wambua, a SchoolManagement Committee member atItherero Primary School in the NaivashaDistrict of Kenya, tells us:

“In the school I have three children andsix grandchildren. The problem we have isthat many of the parents (because of theirtradition) at times do not want to educatethe girls, and this has been a hindrance.Not all parents understand the importance

of education. At times mothers who aresingle parents are forced to make theirchild go and get married because theincome is not there. Recently there was afamine in this part of Kenya and becauseof this some parents encouraged theirdaughters to get married because theycould not afford to keep them.”

There is a great deal of pressure on girlsto leave school before they complete theirstudies: the withdrawal of family support,for example, or the sudden pressureto marry or to leave the community tofind a job. Activities such as farm work,household chores and caring for otherchildren also mean that girls are in thefields or in the home when they shouldbe in the classroom. However, one simplecontributing factor has recently been

highlighted as having a huge impacton absenteeism amongst girls: post-pubescent girls were missing school asmany as five days each month due toinadequate menstrual care. In the rurallocations where Build Africa works theimpact of menstruation upon girls isparticularly noticeable because of a lackof toilet or washing facilities, a lack ofprivacy, and a lack of sanitary products.Because of the fear of embarrassment girlsattend school irregularly, perform poorly,and eventually drop out.

Studies such as that carried out by theSaïd Business School at Oxford Universityhave shown that sanitary protectionraises the educational opportunities ofgirls in developing countries, improvingattendance, concentration, confidence

The need for protection:how sanitary care is improving thelives of African girls

Panina Wambua

4 | Habari Summer 2010 The Women’s Edition


levels and participation in a range ofeveryday activities. As Catherine Dolan,a member of the study team, points out:“These improvements in girl’s self-esteemare particularly important. A positive self-image will not only provide girls with amore rewarding and effective experienceof school but will help them to participatefully in their families, communities andsocieties.”

It is a conclusion wholly supported byour field staff and beneficiaries. PaninaWambua is in no doubt as to the benefitsof sanitary protection:

“Here at Itherero Primary School we havebeen having help from Build Africa, theyhave built for us four toilets which are verybeautiful and we are very grateful for that.

Last time Build Africa came they boughtus some sanitary towels for the girls. Ithink my girls have been very gratefuland very happy because of the pads.Because they know now, even when theirperiods appear, they are not going to befearful. They enjoy, because they have theprotection. So thank you for doing a verygreat job. With the provision of sanitarytowels we can provide education for allthe girls.”

In 2010 Build Africa will continue toensure that girls have access to separatelatrine facilities. We will supply over13,000 sanitary pads and supportlocal radio broadcasts to discuss issueswhich contribute to high drop-out ratesamongst girls. It is a simple formula, butit works. With better sanitary protection

comes the confidence to go to schooland with improved attendance comesthe opportunity to sit exams, to succeedat secondary school and ultimately tobecome an active, informed and respectedmember of the community.

The education of parents about healthissues and the primary importance offemale education are central to the SchoolDevelopment Plan process. Changedoes not happen overnight but withoutcommunity members like Panina Wambuathis process would be impossible. She(and countless others like her) is thecatalyst transforming the educationopportunities of girls all over rural Africa.

5Habari Summer 2010 The Women’s Edition |


In East Africa HIV/AIDS is perhaps thesingle biggest threat to the health andprosperity of its population, and it isthe young women who are bearing thebrunt of the epidemic with infectionrates up to 3 to 5 times higher thanthose experienced by the young men.Women and girls also face the greatestburden of work, given their traditionalresponsibilities for growing much of thefood and caring for the sick and dying.The epidemic has created large numbersof orphans who are being withdrawn fromschool to help lighten the family load: the

result is the loss of economic opportunitiesthat result from a good education and thedecline in the standards of living of theentire family.

It seems like a hopeless situation. But atEchariria Primary School the tireless effortsof a small band of inspirational peopleare making a difference to this hard hitcommunity. Mrs Kimani Martha has beena teacher at Echariria for 17 years. But itis as Patron of the Health Club that sheis best known, receiving a ‘Best HealthClub’ award from a senior representative

of the Kenyan Government in 2009. Herclub is active both in the school and in thelocal community, so it is no wonder theceremony was so well attended. It was achance for the local teachers, parents andchildren to say thank you to a womanwho has made an invaluable contributionto the improved health attitudes of therural population.

“As a mother, a teacher and a councillorhere and out there in the community I feelmore empowered. I feel good. Because itgives me the chance to know more aboutso many problems, and it gives me timeto assist the young ones. It has also givenme the knowledge I need. It’s great, I haveseen a difference. I have seen childrenchanging their behaviour, and so manyteachers wanting to join the club.”

The club has been raising awareness ofHIV/AIDS in the community for the pastthree years and Mrs Kimani has personallyfought for the rights of infected childrenin that time. Her determination to see thatevery child is treated fairly has led her toobtain medical referrals free of charge sothat poor children can be examined bya doctor. Tenacious, persistent, dogged:without Mrs Kimani’s efforts the infectedchildren would have been denied themost basic medical attention because oftheir extreme poverty:

A Health Club for all:Mrs Kimani and the childrenof Echariria

Mrs. Kimani holding her ‘Best Health Club’ award



“In our community we have somemothers who have died of HIV/AIDSso there are many orphans around ourschool. We also have some childrenwho are suffering from the virus. In thetraining, which was offered by BuildAfrica, I learnt so many things. I learntmore about the environment, aboutso many diseases. I learnt more aboutrelationships and life skills. I have toeducate the members in their roles. So,we have been talking more about theenvironment, health hygiene in thisschool, the fight against HIV/AIDS. It’sgreat, I have seen a difference.”

The position of Patron has also given MrsKimani the opportunity to talk to the otherteachers about their treatment of infectedchildren, to avoid the stigmatization thatcan result from a lack of understanding ofthe virus:

“I had a child in Class 3 some years agowhen I started this club. A fellow teacherwas nervous about being with this boy inthe class because the boy had the virus.But, due to the knowledge and skills Ihave learnt from the trainings I haveundergone I was able to help that boy byadvising the teacher. Now the teacher ismore understanding and the boy is doingvery well in Class 6.”

The Health Club at Echariria PrimarySchool has become a forum for the localpeople to discuss their health concerns. Itprovides an invaluable community service,acting as a drop-in centre open to anyonein need of support:

“The Health Club members from thisschool are spreading the good news, totheir relatives, their neighbours. You mightsee parents or children popping in duringbreak time. They want to say something.That’s why I have set aside this table herefor counselling. Being positive meansbelieving that they are not going to die.They can still live a long life if they observetheir diet, the medical treatment andreally follow the doctor’s advice. If theyinvolve themselves in activities, they canlive just like any other person, even livinglonger. That is my vision: I wish for themto live a longer life”.



Susanne, when you began in 2004 didyou have a clear vision of where youwanted to take Build Africa?

I certainly did. After 20 years livingwith communities in Africa I reallywanted to create an organisationthat was small enough to be nimble,yet professional enough to be ableto build on all the good work beingdone out there.

My vision was twofold: firstly, Iwanted to develop a model thatcould be applied to any ruralcommunity so that young peoplecould get a decent education andthen be able to make a decentliving. Secondly, I wanted to createan organisation that would providea bridge between supporters whowant to make a difference andthe communities who need theirassistance. I wanted to make sure thatsupporters knew exactly how theirmoney is spent and to be able to getinvolved.

How much of this vision has beenrealised? What have been BuildAfrica’s main achievements?

We have moved a long way towardsour vision. I am proud of the fact thatwe have built up such a wonderfulgroup of knowledgeable and

committed donors who continueto make our work possible andthat despite the recession we’vemanaged to meet our commitmentsto communities and to donors everyyear. Our website is now one of themost transparent and informativeof all international developmentcharities. I love the fact that donorscan click on a school to find outexactly what is going on. Last, butnot least, I am proud of our financesystems and local finance staff, whichgive us 100% confidence in ouraccounting.

How has it been achieved?

I really want to pay tribute to ourstaff and donors. We have some ofthe most committed and experiencedstaff in the sector, and the same couldbe said about our donors! Everyoneknows their part and everyone pushesto improve.

I do think that one of the reasons wehave achieved so much is becausewe have purposefully chosento follow a focussed approach(both geographically and in ourprogrammes) rather than becominga jack of all trades and spreadingourselves too thinly.

Another critical component has beentrust. Tackling poverty is no easy task.Trust is essential between us and thecommunities we work with, betweenour staff and our donors, andbetween our UK staff and our Africanstaff. This is why an important part ofour ethos is long term commitment,because building trust takes time.

So what will be the challenges facingOliver?

I have been inspired by Oliver sincewe first met in 2007. We held anextremely rigorous recruitment

process for my successor and Oliverwas the clear leader. It is wonderful tobe able to promote from within, andto put our money where our mouthis as a young people’s organisation. Iam totally confident that Oliver is theright person to lead Build Africa in thenext stage of our development.

The biggest challenge for Oliver willbe raising the profile of Build Africaand continuing to attract funding sowe can continue our good work.

What and who will you miss themost?

The teams in all three countries. Theyhave become like family. I’ll also missthe sense of achievement at the endof each year when we manage toraise the money needed and are ableto honour our commitments to thecommunities.

What inspires you?

My inspiration is threefold: thepositive spirit and ingenuity of thecommunities we work with, thegenerosity of our donors and theunstinting hard work of our staff. It isa very inspirational job!

As a woman who has successfullysteered a dynamic and growingorganisation how do you view the roleof women in Africa today? What doyou think African women can achievein the future?

We are sad to announce that after five-and-a-half years Susanne Niedrum will be stepping down as Build Africa’s Chief Executiveat the beginning of July. Her contribution to the continued success of Build Africa has been immeasurable: she leaves anorganisation that is stronger, more focussed and growing every year.

But with this bad news comes a silver lining: the appointment of our current Director of Fundraising and Communications, OliverKemp, as Susanne’s successor. With ten years’ experience in international development, Oliver’s appointment has been a popularone across the organisation. We are confident that he will carry Build Africa further towards the goal of becoming a leadingcharity for young people in Africa.

In the following interviews Susanne and Oliver talk candidly about their involvement with the organisation, outlining itschallenges and achievements, as well as their visions for the future.

h b i 2004

Leading Build Africa:an interview with Susanne Niedrum and Oliver Kemp



African women are the mainstayof their families and communities(though the men don’t like to admitit!). They work hard behind thescenes, often in difficult conditions.Though things are still tough, therehas been improvement in the 24years since I first came to Africa(as there has been in the UK!).Discrimination and abuse are moreopenly discussed now and there arelots of examples of women making itin a man’s world. So I think there is alot of hope.

What were the reasons for yourdecision and what plans do you havefor the future?

This was an incredibly difficultdecision for me. I have put my lifeand soul into Build Africa and I havelearnt so much. But, after 24 years offull on work, I have the chance of alifetime to take some time off. This isnot goodbye, however: I hope to beof assistance as a volunteer and as asupporter.

Oliver, by way of introduction couldyou tell us about your career ininternational development?

I first decided this was what I wantedto do when I was 12 years old playingfootball in Gambia. I joined a charitycalled Education Action Internationalwhen I was 21, and was promoted torun the fundraising team after threeyears.

After taking some time out to runmy own business I worked on anadvocacy project in India for childrenwith Haemophilia. I then joined BuildAfrica two years ago as the Directorof Fundraising.

What skills do you need to succeed ininternational development?

The challenges that face theworld’s poor are incredibly hard toovercome: it takes commitment,innovation and drive. I think the mostrewarding thing about internationaldevelopment is seeing the realchanges that Build Africa has madeby harnessing these attributes.

You are a young chief executive, onlyin your early 30’s! Are you a drivenperson? What are your life goals?

Yes, I am driven to make sure that wecan achieve the best possible resultsfor the people that we work with inAfrica. I always wanted to be part ofan effective organisation that placedpeople in the developing world atthe heart of everything they do. BuildAfrica is such an organisation.

How has your time here beenas Director of Fundraising andCommunications?

I’ve loved it. The team is the best I’veworked with. They’re committed,clever and focussed. In addition, I’dlike to take the opportunity to thankall our supporters who understandour needs and have continued theirsupport during a tough financialperiod.

Why did you decide to apply for thejob of Chief Executive?

I think that the best reason to do ajob like this is the people we workwith in Kenya and Uganda. So manypeople that you meet show you theirtremendous strength in times ofadversity and they never fail to inspireme to do more and continue to tryand make a positive difference totheir lives.

Will Susanne be a hard act to follow?What condition is the organisation inright now?

Certainly, she has taken theorganisation to a whole new level.There are good people, good systemsand rigorous and well thought outprojects overseas. She has guided theorganisation through difficult timesand it has come out much strongerthan most.

The turbulent financial times maycontinue for a while and governmentfunding has already been withdrawnin many areas. However, theorganisation is in a strong positionwhich gives me the best chance ofovercoming these challenges.

What is your vision for the future ofthe organisation?

My vision of Build Africa is of anorganisation combining highly costeffective education and enterpriseprogrammes that create long lastingdevelopment. I want to prove theeffectiveness of this combined modelas a way of reducing poverty in thelong run. If we can do this then notonly will we be making a difference,but others will be following us.

Is there a message you would like togive to Build Africa’s supporters?

That the organisation is in goodhands and that I will ensure thatit continues to grow and that itbecomes even more effective. As anex-fundraiser I will always appreciatethe level of support that we have,and I’ll make sure that it gets to thepeople who need it most.



Iculet Selina struggled to makeends meet until Build Africa held anintroductory Village Savings and LoansAssociation meeting in Angod parish inrural Uganda. As a subsistence farmerwith seven children to support, Selinafound it impossible to save despite herinexhaustible energy and never-say-dieattitude. For a long time she had wantedto start up a small enterprise that wouldhelp improve the welfare of her family, butshe could not raise the money. She sawthe Village Savings and Loans Associationas providing the solution. In fact she wasso excited about its business possibilitiesthat she soon became a founding memberof her own savings group called ‘AfricaNalolo’ (‘Africa of Today’).

After saving for 6 weeks, she borrowed5,000 Ugandan Shillings (£1.60), usingthe money to test the local demand forsecond hand clothing. She bought a fewgarments and hawked her merchandisearound the commercial kiosks in thenearby villages. The sales were betterthan she expected and this enabled her topay back the loan immediately. She wenton to borrow more money, first 15,000Ugandan Shillings (£4.80), then 63,000UGS (£20.16) and most recently 100,000UGS (£32.00).

Selina is excited about the results of hersimple business experiment. She now hasa stall in the trading center and also takesher merchandise to the nearby weeklymarkets. On average she makes 10,000UGS (£3.20) each day, with a daily profitof 3,000 UGS (£0.96). These figures seemtiny by UK standards, but in Uganda(where average annual earnings are lessthan £150) they are on a scale that makesa real difference to the lives of the groupmembers.

Life has changed for Selina and her family.She is now better able to provide fortheir basic needs (for soap, sugar, schoolmaterials and food on the table). Notsurprisingly her savings in the group haveimproved as she now pays in more than3,000 UGS every week. She is delightedabout the change in her family situationso far but looks to the future for more:“I want to put up a ‘mabati’ (tin roofed)house for my children”. This would havebeen impossible had she not joined thesavings scheme.

Over 70% of the Village Savings andLoans Association members are women.Reading Selina’s story it is easy to seewhy. As women begin to earn moneythrough the business opportunities thatthe scheme provides, they are able tocontribute financially to the household:many for the first time. They no longerhave to ask their husbands’ permissionto spend money. With income of theirown, women also often find that their

voices are heard and their opinions countmore in terms of household decisions,like children’s health and education.They have reported to us that theirexperiences with the Village Savings andLoans Associations – both through theireconomic and community benefits – haveenabled them to build greater confidenceand self-esteem. ‘Even if I face difficulties, Iknow that I will pay the money back’: it isa sentiment we hear again and again frommembers of the groups.

Selina’s story highlights the remarkable- but previously untapped - reservoir ofboth energy and knowledge possessed bythe women of these remote communities.For her, access to money has meant thatshe can put food on the table and providelasting shelter for her family. She is driven.She is entrepreneurial. And, though poor,she is creating a culture of success that willbenefit her children through school andbeyond.

The remarkable women of the Village Savings and Loans Associations

| Habari Summer 2010 The Women’s Edition10


Fundraising News

Habari in Large Print or on CD

We want to make our communica�ons as accessible as we can. If you would like to receiveHabari in a large print version or on CD, please call us on Freephone 0800 652 62 92. If youknow the font size that suits you best or have any other feedback that can help us meetyour needs, do let us know.

(This ar�cle is point 14 with a point 16 �tle in bold).

Back in 2009 Build Africa were lucky enough to receive thesupport of Wellesley House School in Broadstairs, Kent. Since thenthe primary school has been coming up with some creative waysof raising money for their link school in Kenya.

Wellesley House School is linked with Kanorero Primary Schoolin the Naivasha District of Kenya. Living in a modern, wellconnected country like the UK, it is difficult to imagine a schoolas remote and inaccessible at Kanorero. But it takes more thanan hours drive over rough terrain to get there from the nearesttown. And because of limited resources the children are forcedto use either unsafe classrooms or sit outside at the mercy ofthe elements. This is why the pupils at Wellesley House decidedto focus their fundraising efforts on helping Kanorero build andfurnish a desperately needed new classroom.

Build Africa first met with Wellesley School pupils back in October2009 to share with them the work of Build Africa and introducethem to their link school. Our Community Fundraiser, HelenSharpe, was immediately impressed by their commitment anddrive:

“The response and enthusiasm of the pupils at Wellesley Schoolto support their peers in Africa was fantastic. I knew after theinsightful questions being asked that I would have energetic andcreative fundraisers on my hands and I haven’t been provedwrong! I am very much looking forward to accompanying teachersfrom Wellesley School to Kanorero so that they can see thedifference their fundraising has made.”

Since then the 136 pupils have worked tirelessly to raise the£6,500 needed to build and furnish a classroom at Kanorero.Pupils have participated in organised bike rides, spa days, carwashes and walks to raise the necessary funds (hopefully having alot of fun in the process).

Build Africa and the community of Kanorero would like to extendtheir thanks to all the staff and pupils who have been involved inthe fundraising at Wellesley. And a big thank you to all the familiesthat have supported them too.

Contact Helen Sharpe at [email protected] orhcall 01892 519619 if you would like to find out abouthow your school can link with a school in Kenya orUganda. You really can make a whole world of differenceto the education of African children. You will have a lotof fun in the process, and a visit to a Build Africa assistedschool is an unforgettable experience. So get in touch!

Wellesley House School

Outdoor lessons are all too common at Kanorero Primary School



Stepping up to the challenge for BuildAfrica on the 25th April were RichardThomas, Jean-Pierre Darque, ThomasStofer, Ajit Tagore and Will Barsley. Manyof you will know of Richard Thomas’sfundraising credentials. A dedicatedrunner with 9 marathons and one 56 mileultra marathon under his belt, he hasmade an incredible contribution to ourfundraising efforts over the years. It wasno surprise when Jean-Pierre Darque toldus about his motivation for running the2010 event:

“I was inspired initially by a photo of myfriend Richard Thomas who visited oneof your schools in Africa and I pickedup some leaflets three years or so ago. I

have always been interested in helpingchildren in developing countries and BuildAfrica fulfils that desire. Build Africa hasexcellent credentials and seem very goodat what the charity is doing …I am happyto put in the hours of training in the hopethat my efforts will make a differenceto children in the countries where youoperate.”

It is a sentiment shared by all our runners.We would like to say thanks to all of themfor going the distance, for raising over£17,000 towards our projects in Ugandaand Kenya and for posing for a photo that‘OK!’ magazine featured in their ‘World inAction’ spread. Nice one guys!

Support Build Africa this year by participating in an 86km trekacross the breathtaking Kenyan landscape. This trek takes placein the heart of Kenya's stunning Rift Valley, an unspoilt area ofEast Africa that contains some of the most starkly beautiful naturalscenery in the world. Immersed in the Maasai Mara you'll delvedeep into the culture and wildlife of one of Africa's trekkingdelights.

At the end of the trip you will be offered the unique opportunityto visit one of the Build Africa schools that your fundraising hashelped to support. Meeting with the teachers, children and localcommunity will give a fantastic insight into our work.

The registration fee is £100, the fundraising commitment £3,500.

This really is the experience of a lifetime.

Tracey Hook

Fundraising NewsLondon Marathon 2010

Adidas Women’s 5K Challenge, 2010

Kenyan Challenge Event 18th-27th February 2010

Ladies, if you feel inspired by the women of rural East Africa andwant to do something that will make a difference to their lives,why not put your trainers on and get running for Build Africa onSeptember 5th 2010. The adidas Women’s 5K Challenge is a funrun for women of all ages taking place in Hyde Park, London. It’sa great way to make you look and feel great. Tracey Hook, an Account Manager from Norfolk, ran for Build Africa in 2009. Shetold us:

“I really like the fact that you guys run sustainable projects andempower young people so they have the chance to make abetter future for themselves…The day was really enjoyable. Theatmosphere was great with so many people running for causesthey are passionate about or in memory of a loved on.”

So come on, get in touch and get ready for a great dayof fundraising.

If you are interested in participating in the 2011 London Marathon, the Adidas 5K Women’s Challengeor the Kenyan Challenge Event, please contact Helen Sharpe at [email protected] or call01892 519619.


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