We're still travelling the 6,000 miles through Europe, The Middle East and North Africa, all the way to Third Hope's Farm near Gulu, Northern Uganda. Of course, because of Lockdown, it will have to be a virtual journey, but this means you can all join us!
All you have to do is get out running, cycling or walking. It could be on your own, or with family and friends. Afterwards, just email us the total number of miles covered and we will add them to the running totals below. Also, feel free to send us any photos of your trip and we will try to incorporate as many as possible into the updates. We will be uploading progress updates regularly until we reach our 6,000 mile target. Please send images and miles covered to: david@thirdhope.org.
For every mile you cycle, walk or run, we are hoping you can raise at least £1, so get your family, friends and co-workers sponsoring you by pointing them to this page. With each mile we complete, and with every pound we raise, we will get closer to running another year's training in regenerative agriculture for ex-child soldiers.
Week one: Thank you to Fiona's family and Rose-Mary's walk over the hills for clocking up the first 25 miles! They always say the longest journey starts with the first step...
Week two: With more miles from Fi and family (this time walking), and help from Carter, our total is now 134 miles. Thank you, Carter, for choosing to cycle your 12 mile commute (through wind and rain!). Doing this on top of a hard day on a building site is a great encouragement to us all.
14 August Update: We are thankful to our regulars who have continued to put in the miles this week. We have also been moved by the story sent in by our friend, Lynda. She has walked alongside her friend who is getting back on her feet post-chemo, and together they have both walked a marathon in a week! What a beautiful idea and a generous gift, inspiring us all to persevere through challenging times. Phil, Yulia and Maria in Belgium have also defied 37 degree temperatures to walk 15 miles and this, plus a 20 mile cycle ride from David, has got us well over the channel and on our way through Europe.
The summer is coming to an end but many of you are still out in all weathers, putting in the miles to help us 'Get to Gulu'. Our thanks go to Teresa and family for notching up 50 miles around reservoirs and through woods. Well done to Todd and Danelle, who are our first contributors by kayak! Our gratitude also goes to Nick and Keren for their 75 miles of walking together, and thank you to Gavin, Lara and their tenacious children who cycled 62 miles in a week. These wonderful additions, alongside more miles by Fi and family, Steve and Michaela and Carter, mean we are now over a tenth of the way there.
October saw a major leap forward as we nearly approach one third of our ultimate target. Thanks to the amazing efforts of the Paradigm Norton team, who have shown great tenacity and creativity in together notching up over a thousand miles! We are all deeply encouraged by their energy and enthusiasm. Our thanks also go to David's parents who, though both in their eighties, managed to walk 110 miles in a month a testament to the power of 'little and often'. Our great thanks to you all for your generous contributions of time, energy and money.
If together we can travel the 6000 miles and raise £6,000, we will be well on our way to supporting the 20 ex-child soldiers who have just enrolled in this year's agricultural course, alongside vocational training and trauma counselling to enable them to leave behind the horror of their past and move towards a hopeful future. So, together, LETS GET TO GULU!
Below is a short film which helps convey the nature of the work in Uganda.
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