The 100km Challenge for the Islands

100 kilometres. Twenty-four hours. The South Coast Challenge. This was the challenge for Sue and Ineke. Starting at Eastborne at 9am on Saturday, August 26th, they (along with about 1600 others)walked (or ran) over the Seven Sisters and along the South Downs Way all the way to Arundel.


We are personally very grateful to Ineke who walked for the Rural Island Health Project on Kome Island! She walked with Sue Fallon who was raising money for the Pads Project in Uganda. And they were incredible! It was a really tough challenge, walking that great distance up and down steep hills across rough terrain. Walking all day in the hot sun and then on through the long darkness of the night with blistered feet.

We went to Steyning, (close to their route) where our good friends, Andy and Angela live. We all headed out at 12:30pm, walking by flashlight from their house to the point on the South Downs Way where Sue and Ineke would pass. We waited in the dark, watching the little lights of the walkers making their way across the top ridge of the hill and down to us at the river.

Looking a bit like a constellation
The walkers as they make their way across and down the hill

It was probably almost 2am when Sue and Ineke came by. We went with them to the food and drink station where they could grab a snack and attend to their painful, bandaged feet. And then we prayed and cheered them on their way! We walked back to Andy and Angela's house, arriving about 3am and went to bed as Ineke and Sue walked on through the night. We later arrived back in Basingstoke at 10:00am in time for church, with the news that they had made it to the finish!

A brief rest at 2am

Sue sets off again

And Ineke is off again!

We are so grateful for Ineke's support of the health project which will serve people on the islands on Lake Victoria. You can read more about this project on the blog ... and will definitely hear much more in the weeks and months ahead! But about the project in a nutshell ... as well as low survival rate in labour for both mother and child, people on these islands experience numerous health issues due to unsafe water and poor sanitation. The Rural Island Community Health (RICH) project will seek to provide medical care and health education for the people on the islands. With an emphasis on maternal and child health, the project wants to engage in preventative and primary healthcare through mobile clinics. Our new team-mates, the Ewing family, are working with Dr. Makori and the local church to move this project forward!

Huge thanks to Ineke for her amazing support and congratulations to both her and Sue for their amazing achievement!

See the link here to read more about their challenge: http://www.eiuk.org.uk/sue-and-ineke-are-raising-funds-for-ei-projects/
And if you would still like to give your support, it's not too late!

(and after saying this blog would continue from Tanzania ... no ... we are still here in England!