Hi, :)

I’m Aya. I’m an au pair and I look after two lovely kids, and I’m also a Computer Science student at UAL. I’m a mix of academic and creative because I love football just as much as I love art and painting. I’m usually either in the gym, in a café with a matcha or a coffee, or working on something creative. I care a lot about the people around me, and that’s why I wanted to do something meaningful this February.

This February I’m running 50KM to raise money for Africa Cancer Trust, and the person who inspired this the most is Christina . I haven’t known Christina for a long time, but from the moment I started looking after her kids, I saw how special she is. She’s one of those rare people who is genuinely gentle, patient and kind without even trying. Even while going through her own fight with breast cancer, she still shows up for her children with so much love. The strength she carries so quietly is something I’ve never forgotten.

I wanted to do something that reflects how much respect I have for her . This is also something that shows she’s not facing this alone, even if she doesn’t always say how she feels. This challenge is for her, for all the strength she shows every day, and for how she still finds space to be warm and kind to everyone around her, including me.

This fundraiser is also personal to me because cancer has affected women in my own family. Seeing what my aunties have gone through has shown me how different access to treatment can be depending on where you live. Even though the charity works mainly in Uganda and Kenya, their mission speaks to something I care about deeply. Africa is still my identity and my pride, and across the continent so many women face delays in diagnosis, limited hospital resources and a lack of support. Supporting a charity that helps close that gap felt like the right thing to do.

I’m not a serious runner at ALL (actually i’m an asthmatic haha) I usually stick to light 5Ks at the gym so committing to 50KM across the month is a real challenge for me. But I’m doing it with purpose and with love for the women who have inspired me the most.

Thank you so much for donating, sharing, or simply reading my story. It means more than you know.