IDPWD 5K RUN 2023

This month brought us so much joy because after months of planning and anticipation, our Annual 5K came to pass. On the 2nd of December, we had one of the biggest turnouts we have ever had at this event. This year our goal was as usual to bring awareness to persons who are differently abled with an emphasis on SDGs or Sustainable Development Goals, and how those intersect with the work we do here in our community. Although we call it our 5K this year we added a 10K option for those who wanted to try and a walk for all-inclusivity. After all we are Kenyans and running is in our blood, ha! As we made our way to the starting line it was amazing to see people who had not initially planned to participate join us and get genuinely excited to know why we run every December. As well as raising awareness this is a moment that most parents thought they would never see. Before, we saw that parents would have to hide their children who were differently abled in the house. This is due to the great shame that was placed on parents of children with disabilities, but now our parents proudly marched their kids down the main road from Mombasa to Rwanda. We were also so proud of each and every wheelchair as well any other assistive device as they were custom fitted to each child. This is thanks to the efforts of Beth Hadi and the Rotary Club of Arizona who donated all these wheelchairs. In association with Bethany kids, we were able to custom fit the wheelchairs to the needs of each individual child to allow them to navigate our rough terrain here in Maai Mahiu. This whole day was made possible by donors both local and abroad, and it is always amazing to be able to thank our donors in person. We love when our donors get a chance to meet our kids and their parents.Jeremiah and Mary were not in the country so they shared their sentiments and reiterated just how important our kids are to us here at ubuntu and in turn all the amazing donors.