I’m running my first half marathon to support the Step for Schools campaign with Team Vodafone – and to be honest, it’s a massive personal challenge.

Just a few months ago, the idea of running any distance felt impossible. At the end of 2024, I had a health scare that forced me to stop and reassess everything – my lifestyle, priorities, and long-term wellbeing. It was a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore.

In early 2025, I made a commitment to take better care of myself and started running for the first time in years. I couldn’t even run 1K without stopping. Slowly but surely, with a lot of perseverance, I’ve built up my distance and confidence. Signing up for a half marathon now feels like both a personal milestone and a statement: that I’m still here, I’m getting stronger – and I’m running for a reason that’s bigger than me.

That reason is the Step for Schools campaign, raising funds for Instant Network Schools, a partnership between the Vodafone Foundation and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Across the world, 14.8 million school-aged refugee children are trying to rebuild their lives – but nearly half are out of school. Education offers stability, hope, and the chance for a better future.

Instant Network Schools are changing that. So far, the programme has:

• Launched over 130 connected schools

• Reached 352,000 young refugees

• Trained 6,400+ teachers and coaches

This is the kind of real-world impact I want to be part of.

If you can spare anything, please consider donating. Your support means a lot – both to me and to the children this campaign reaches.

Thank you so much.

📚 More about the programme:

https://www.unhcr.org/uk/about-unhcr/our-partners/private-sector/vodafone-foundation