My second Marathon to help Karimi in Kenya

On Sunday 6th October I’ll be running my second marathon, and am hoping to raise some money to help Karimi, my sister-in-law in Kenya.

Some of you reading this will remember that a little over a year ago I was running to raise money for Karimi, and her daughter Mya. Karimi was able to put about half into an account from which to pay Mya’s school fees. There is still enough to keep Mya at school for another two years, so thank you!

The remainder was to be used as a safety net for Karimi to pay for medical procedures when needed. Not long after receiving the money, Karimi had to undergo emergency surgery to have a goitre removed. Thankfully it went well and she was able to pay for the surgery, though regrettably the treatment required what was left of the money we’d raised.

Life in Nairobi continued to be really hard for Karimi; when her health allowed her to work, she rarely earned enough to pay her rent. The stress was having a negative impact on her health and eventually Wanja and I were able to convince her to move back in with her mum in the countryside.

Since then, she’s been recovering steadily, and is optimistic about the possibility of taking a course in care work. She was inspired after a chance meeting in hospital. She had visited the hospital hoping to find someone who would appreciate a pair of crutches that her mum had been using, but no longer needed. She met a man who had been admitted with severe wounds sustained in a road traffic accident, and gave him the crutches. He had no means of paying for his treatment, or getting any basic necessities like food and clothing. Karimi helped him with what little she had, and they became friends. She is unrelentingly kind, compassionate and generous; qualities which we agree would make her invaluable in a professional care worker role.

I’m hoping that by running this marathon I can raise money to contribute to Karimi’s training, and help her into a meaningful career in which she can continue to help others.

I will be running in the Clarendon Marathon https://www.clarendon-marathon.co.uk/ Apparently "If you are looking for a marathon which is off road, picturesque and challenging then running the Clarendon is the ultimate." So I will be doing so with some trepidation. Wish me luck! Thanks so much for your support. x