Running a marathon was not a particular goal of mine before working for Sandblast but it quickly became a no-brainer for me as a way to support the Saharawi people through Sandblast's impact. If you are able to contribute something, even if very small I will be very grateful. In February, I will be spending a week living with a Saharawi family in the refugee camps and running the marathon in Algeria in support of them. These people have been stripped of their freedom for decades now, already living away from their homeland. Your donations will be going towards an after-school project called Desert Voicebox, teaching English and music to Saharawi children with the help of volunteers. This is their hope to have a better life which is incredibly important as the youngest generation. Below is some more information about the Saharawis and Sandblast. Thank you for your support, I will carry it with me in the refugee camps.

The Saharawis are indigenous to Western Sahara which was colonised by Spain for a century until 1975 when Spain left after being pressured by the UN and the Polisario (The Saharawi political-military organisation). This only led to more complications, with Mauritania and Morocco taking over and the Saharawi refugee crisis beginning. Many of them fled to neighbouring Algeria where they still reside today, near Tindouf. To this day, Morocco is still implicated with the territory of Western Sahara despite a UN-induced ceasefire in 1991 and a promise of a referendum for the Saharawis (which has never happened). The Saharawi people lack self-determination rights and freedom, making it progressively easier for Morocco to impose itself. This is only skimming over the story of the Saharawi people, please have a look at Sandblast's website for a more in-depth timeline here: https://sandblast-arts.org/the-saharawis/

Sandblast is a UK-based charity dedicated to helping the Saharawi people on their journey to freedom and self-determination. The funds raised for Sandblast for this marathon will go towards their Desert Voicebox project - an after-school project based in the refugee camps in Algeria teaching English to Saharawi children. This project is incredibly important to give the children hope for a better future and the opportunity for them to choose a life they want. Sandblast's fundraising goal for 2025 is £45,000, let's help them achieve it!