Running for women and kids on the move

hi, my name is Lena and i am a women’s rights lawyer and amateur runner from switzerland.

i recently moved to athens, where i’ve started volunteering at the women and kids space of Glocal Roots - a small swiss-greek ngo focused on supporting and empowering people on the move. there, we provide women with meals, diapers and pads, clothes, daily activities like language, math and sewing classes, childcare, legal and medical support - all in a space where women can meet in a safe and supportive environment.

besides this, it’s been a year since i committed to running weekly, and honestly, it’s been saving my brain and mental health. to celebrate this small (but big for me) milestone, i (very impulsively) signed up for the athens half marathon on april 27th.

after three weeks working at the women and kids space at the victoria community center here, i’ve seen firsthand the amazing work done by the team and met the incredible community built around this special place. but i’ve also witnessed the shortcomings and lack of resources that these kinds of organizations face and now more than ever, in a world where atrocious wars force families to flee their homes to survive - we see it on our phones every day. the urgency is real: for instance, there’s currently a three-month waiting list just to access one pack of pampers per month per mother…

that’s why i’ve decided to combine my runner and volunteer hats to raise money for this incredible organization. it seems like people love giving money to folks who run, and to small organizations where they can actually see where the funds go and what impact they have. this is the first time i’ve ever done something like this, but i believe in solidarity, in the power of the collective.

so, shall we start? we’ve got just over a week to raise as much as we can - so please, if you can, donate even just a few euros, and share this link with your network. it would make such a difference for the women and kids here!!