Stories from Africa
Mina and Run Blue arrived in Kenya, where plans pivoted after Mina caught Covid and was forced to complete her marathons in isolation. Upon recovery, the team traveled to meet with Eliud Kipchoge in Kaptagat, before continuing on to Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. The incredible overland journey included the opportunity to work with partners, governments, corporations and communities on key water issues.
The Run Blue team visited Lake Naivasha in Kenya and spoke to the locals about the interdependent role of the lake in agriculture, horticulture and all life surrounding the lake.
Lake Naivasha, KENYA
The Harsh Reality in Samburu County, Northern Kenya
The Run Blue team visited Samburu County in Northern Kenya, where we saw the impact of the more than 5-year drought in the region. No lush fields, no flowing rivers, no life. People had been forced to relocate to gain access to water. Ntanipi shared her horrific story of what happened to her baby boy when she had to ask children to look after her son while she went to fetch water from a well.
Sarara Foundation Manager, Robert, shared that it is common for children to look for their mothers and try to follow them, but they often get hurt or lost in the bush.
Singing Wells in Samburu County, Northern Kenya
We visited the Singing Wells in Samburu, Kenya, where local community members sang while collecting groundwater from the well. James' family well is shared by three families, who take turns visiting the well, as two families cannot be there simultaneously with all their livestock.
It's hard work to bring the water up. The singing represents a call for motivation when collecting water for the animals and humans in the area. It's more than a call for water. It's a call for an abundance of life.
the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Northern Kenya
It's reported that more than 70 elephants died in Kenya in 2021 due to the ongoing drought affecting all of East Africa. Where there is no water, there is no life.
At the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary (@r.e.s.c.u.e ), we witnessed how water gives orphaned elephants a second chance at life when they are rehabilitated and immersed back into wildlife after four years.
440 million people in Africa do not have access to water. Access to water matters. Access to water changes lives.
It has for Virginia Nzilani and can for so many others. We visited Water.org in Kenya who, in collaboration with Hand in Hand, provide small-scale loans to community members to purchase water storage solutions.
Run Blue visits waTER.ORG IN KENYA
Greening Kaptagat WITH Eliud Kipchoge
"When the forests are green, the waters are blue." - Eliud Kipchoge.
When we team visited Kenya, we were lucky enough to spend time with Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathoner of all time. He shared the work of the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation with us.
Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, Malawi
Forests are often referred to as the lungs of our planet, and water as the lifeblood that flows through it. If we think about the body's anatomy, the body can not function without either. Just like our planet cannot perform optimally without water and trees.
Water is life, but trees are also life - where there are trees, there is water, explains Frackson Kachiwawa, Dzalanyama Forest Lodge Manager.
For many people around the world, accessing water is risky and sometimes dangerous. We've seen the difference that access to safe wells and boreholes can have on a community. We visited the Salima community in Malawi and witnessed how water4's solution to engage the community in the water infrastructure process has given them a sense of ownership and responsibility over their precious water resources.
Community member Jenipher Frank says, "I'm so grateful the wells are close now. We are going to drink fresh and clean water. This will change our lives in many ways."
Salima community, Malawi
The Kafue River is under threat from multiple stressors - like pollution, overuse and climate change - that leave the people and ecosystems dependent on it vulnerable. Particularly those in Lusaka, where 50% of the population is directly reliant on the Kafue.