Fourteen enthusiastic, energetic volunteers in Kakamega, Kenya, along with 33 across Canada, took part in the 10Km Virtual Vancouver Sun Run this April to raise funds for the education of 100+ secondary students sponsored through KEEF – a B.C.-based, registered educational charity (www.kenyaeducation.org ) The Kenyan volunteers – ranging in age from 20’s to 60’s – walked or ran the 10 Km to raise funds locally to support two more secondary students in day schools. For most of them, this is the second year they have taken part in the virtual even. The Kenyan volunteers – ranging from post-secondary students to teachers, a retired school principal and KEEF’s office administrator in Kakamega – were joined by Alinda Ware, a B.C. volunteer currently in Kakamega supporting KEEF’s work there.
In Canada, the 33 volunteers who ran or walked the 10Km in April for KEEF live in B.C., Alberta and Ontario. Like the Kenyan participants, most are doing this virtually for a second year. These participants, the oldest 82, have two goals. They seek donations to increase KEEF’s Student Support fund which lends KEEF secondary students items such as reference and revision books or scientific calculators and provides needed dental or vision care to promote success in their studies. Bikes and/or solar lamps can be provided, as appropriate, for KEEF students at day secondary schools. The second goal of the volunteers in Canada is to help fund a new programme, Mentoring & Leadership Skills. This will see nominated secondary grads, who have demonstrated leadership and service capacity, funded to return to their former school to mentor students there, while awaiting calls to post-secondary studies. These grads will then be enrolled in an online Leadership Skills course, with KEEF providing laptops and some funds for Internet access to support completion of this nine-month certificate course.
To make a donation in celebration of these 47 runners and walkers for KEEF in the 2022 Virtual Vancouver Sun Run, you can give online at www.kenyaeducation.org, by e-transfer to keefcan2010@gmail.com, or by cheque, payable to KEEF and posted to c/o M. Klesner, #904 – 2135 Argyle Ave. West Vancouver BC V7V 1A5. Whichever way you donate, please put “for Sun Run 22” in the message line. Asante Sana! All donations are eligible for tax-deductible receipts. For more details of KEEF’s year round work and our volunteers, contact Shelagh at shelaghag@shaw.ca or 604-415-9397
By Shelagh Armour-Godbolt
