On April 23rd 2023, I am running the London Marathon for CAFOD, please sponsor me!

This will be my first London Marathon and would like to help CAFOD because it is a great charity, helping the poorest of the poor, those without a voice. Your support will be important to help give a dignified life to people like Maria.

Maria lives on the outskirts of a small town in the state of Piauí, north eastern Brazil. As a single mother, she has often struggled to make ends meet. Several years ago, along with 12 other women from her community, Maria turned a small patch of disused dumping ground into a profitable vegetable garden. 

Then climate change has come and hit the region hard. Summers are now longer and hotter and crops need to be watered consistently, but rainfall is scarce and unpredictable. In order to water her crops, Maria needs to pump water from the well. In order to pump water, Maria needs electricity.

However, because of the high costs involved, rural communities often have limited access to this energy. The state of Piauí is one of the poorest regions in the country but it is very sunny, which means the state has massive potential for solar energy production.  

Caritas Brazil are promoting a new energy system that will ensure sustainable energy for poor communities which doesn't harm the environment. CAFOD have worked with Caritas Brazil to install solar panels in six communities, which now supports 186 families to generate energy for their daily needs. That has given local communities and people like Maria autonomy and dignity.