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Sofia and I have decided to run the Umeå Half Marathon for ABESU, a charity for which I have acted as a trustee for the last ten years. Since 2007 ABESU has worked with a Women's co-operative in rural Zambia to help them build homes for its members, their children and in many cases other vulnerable or orphaned children in their care. 80 houses, each with a VIP (ventilation improved pit) toilet, have been built as a direct result of ABESU's partnership with the co-operative and over a hundred more through associated efforts. These efforts have also led to the establishment of a solar powered clinic in the village of Chongwe, the co-operative's main hub. While the clinic's recent expansion has helped extend its benefits to a wider net of people, this has also added extra strain on its eight solar panel batteries. The life use of the 8 batteries is nearly exhausted and so they now they need to be replaced by 12 new batteries at a total cost of around £6000. Sofia and I have set ourselves the target to raise funds to pay for the purchase and installation of at least one of the replacement batteries (£500).

Its been 7 years since I ran my last marathon and like the batteries in Chongwe I will soon be running on empty. Sofia's new to the game, it's her first half marathon and like the batteries waiting to be installed she is full of energy and raring to go. Anything you can donate to our cause will mean so much to us. It will help me 'survive' running 21 km and will further boost Sofia's 'pepp' (as they call it here in Sweden), but more than that, it will  literally add energy to a clinic that helps ensure the health and well-being of thousands of people in the Chongwe region.

So please give generously and help recharge the batteries of Chongwe's clinic!

Sam and Sofia

For more information on ABESU visit: http://www.abesu.org/

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