Raising funds for school shoes

Nancy Robinson was one of 22 intrepid Camfed supporters who pulled on their running shoes and braved sizzling temperatures last month to run the British 10k London Run to help girls make the long journey to school in rural Africa.
“I had to walk three to four miles each day to get to school, wearing canvas shoes,” says Nancy. “I had to cross canals and go through farms, which I didn’t like.”

Nancy’s own experience of the struggle to get to school motivated her to join Camfed’s challenge to raise money for desperately needed school shoes for girls in Africa.

“The issue of girls’ education in Africa is very important to me. There are well documented and proven benefits. As a mum, I know how much my education impacts upon my child… If you don’t educate women, it also impacts greatly on the workforce. A whole section of society is uneducated and it is very detrimental to the economic improvement of African nations.”

Nancy raised more than £2,000 – providing more than 260 pairs of desperately needed shoes that could help set 260 girls on the path to success and lift them from a life of poverty.

The cost of a pair of shoes is beyond the reach of many families in the rural areas where Camfed works. This can effectively deny girls the chance of an education – because shoes are a requirement for children to go to school. Not only this, but making the long journey to school in bare feet is painful on the often scorching earth – and without protection, it’s not uncommon to pick up debilitating diseases such as hookworm along the way.

“When I found the race difficult, I was spurred on by the thought of the young women I would be helping in Africa and my sponsors.”

A big thank you to all those runners who took part in the British 10k London Run on behalf of Camfed this year. Donations are still coming in, but so far the runners have raised more than £9,000 – which represents 1,300 pairs of shoes.

If you’d like to find out more about raising money for Camfed, please email us.