Philippa Emmett and I are cumulatively running a marathon to help save lives in the middle of Congo. We confess, we have enlisted some help from a more experienced runner, our local vicar, David Banbury.

Philippa and I spent most of the 1980s in a remote village in the middle of DR Congo. The only medical care was given through a small maternity ward with a midwife and a nursing team that served over 40,000 people in the area. There was no doctor. I would frequently be woken up at night asked to do an ambulance service to the nearest hospital, 90 miles away, about four hours driving over bad dirt roads. Only one woman giving birth and her baby died on the journey, the rest amazingly made it to the “local” hospital.

In the last few years we were so pleased to hear of a Congolese doctor, Beston, a former pupil at the school where we both taught, pass all his exams to become the only doctor in the area. We recently heard from him that the only generator the hospital has had broken down. Lifesaving equipment such as the electric ventilators and ultrasound can no longer be used. The hospital is currently using manual ventilators for those patients needing ventilation.

We are planning something neither of us have never done before, a marathon run split three ways with David Banbury. (Philippa could not run 5k before lockdown!) We aim to raise £1,000 for a new generator and possibly other equipment for this hospital. Please do consider sponsoring us here!