Last September I was fortunate enough to participate as an ambassador in the annual ISIS Foundation trip to Kiwoko Hospital in rural Uganda to experience the wonderful outcomes of this partnership.

I found the trip somewhat life-changing and I was hugely inspired by the strength of character and determination of the people that I met.

As a testament to this resilience I’ve set myself a challenge of running in a marathon every month during 2013 to try and raise as much money as possible through sponsorship for the very worthy cause of the ISIS Foundation.

My schedule of events includes marathons in Bermuda, Atlanta, Zurich, Hartford and Singapore as well as the UK and rest of Europe and I’m especially looking forward to returning to Kiwoko to run a marathon through the Ugandan bush next summer!

As a newbie to running, and given my current level of fitness, this is going to be a huge personal challenge but after experiencing first-hand the daily struggles faced by communities and children living in poverty I feel compelled to help in whatever way I can.

Everyone I met at Kiwoko made a deep impression on me. Ugandans are some of the warmest and most friendly people I’ve ever met and make you feel special and appreciated.

Full of infectious joy, I believe the richest resource Uganda has is its own people; in the midst of abject poverty, deprivation and sickness the Ugandan people are bursting with life and full of hope and this challenge is aimed at giving them something back. 

The ISIS Group is a self-funded, non-profit organisation so all the money raised ends up being spent on services on the ground. Likewise, all the money raised by this challenge will go directly to the ISIS Foundation and any support you can provide will be most welcome.

They help some of the most under privileged people on earth in some of the hardest, most remote places in Uganda and Nepal and aim to make a positive difference to the lives of communities and the children there.

The ISIS Foundation support those projects that involve initiation, input and maintenance by local people. Helping communities to help themselves, letting them take ownership of the projects and working towards enabling communities to be self-sufficient.

They support those projects less likely to be funded by large, international organisations as well as helping to support local economies by trying to source all products and services locally. Like me they think hard about what they do, they’re not afraid to learn from their mistakes and they never, ever give up!

I believe in the power of partnership and hope this challenge encapsulates the heart of the ISIS philosophy and the spirit of Kiwoko.

Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page. Please check my website for regular updates on my progess: http://www.12in12forisis.com