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Ethiopian Artist Wows Audience At The Reach, Abbotsford

Partners of the Abbotsford 'Run for Water' project were treated to a unique display of art and music


The Run for Water Society entertained a group of partners at The Reach last night in a pre-event acknowledgement prior to the annual Run. The Run for Water is May 27th 2012. Check out the highly acclaimed Ethiopian artist, Yared Nigussu, who wowed the audience with his live creation.

Yared was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is best known for his large size portraits of men and women.He studied at the Addis Ababa University School of Fine Arts and Design, and graduated in Art and Education with major in painting in 2005. He then awarded a scholarship to France where he taught Art and was involved in many expositions in Northen France.After his graduation, he spent day after day observing human faces. He is fascinated by them, the beauty of shapes, their looks, especially human gazes. "Eyes can hide a lot of stories...That's an infinite source of inspiration for me" he says.He now lives and works in Vancouver.

Run For Water is an Abbotsford based nonprofit society dedicated to staging a high-calibre running event. The members of Run For Water Society share the goal of promoting healthy physical activity and community spirit as well as raising funds for clean water development in under-privileged communities.

See the photo gallery from the 2011 Run for Water event.

In 2007 the founding board members of the Run for Water Society conceptualized a unique event to be hosted in Abbotsford, British Columbia.  The vision was to stage a top tier internationally recognized running event that would attract a wide range of participants and athletes and, at the same time, raise awareness - and funds - for people in the developing world who lack one of life's basic necessities - clean water.  Since 2008, this volunteer board has staged an annual run which has grown to include a gala event, a race expo and extensive involvement with students who learn about what it means to become compassionate global citizens.  All the funds raised - over $500,000 to date - go towards helping building clean water projects in some of the most remote and desolate areas of southern Ethiopia.

Why Run For Water?

Runners possess an acute understanding of the importance of hydration - how critical clean drinking water is to sustaining fitness, health and life.  In the developing world, the stakes are much higher.  Estimates are that 1 billion people on our planet do not have access to a reliable source of clean water and that every 19 seconds, a child dies for lack of clean water!  The lack of a water source also means children, particularly young girls, cannot go to school. It means women cannot tend to their family or pursue a livelihood.  Instead they spend their days attending to their daily water needs, frequently walking for hours to fetch water that is unsanitary.  Each May, we encourage people of all ages and abilities to run for "Water" in order to help those in need access safe, clean water sources.  Access to clean water is foundational to securing health, education and economic well-being.  Join us!

Run for Water Expansion

In 2011, the first annual Calgary Run for Water was held on September 10, with over 800 runners in their 10K and 5K events and raising over $50,000.  In the future, we plan for Run for Water expansion in other participating cities.

 

Why Ethiopia?

In the last two decades, Ethiopia has been prone to recurring droughts which bring on food shortages and famines.  When droughts hit, water-related diseases spread uncontrollably, as the limited surface water is quickly contaminated by human and animal waste.  Inadequate water also results in the inability to maintain hygiene as there is not enough water to bathe or wash regularly.  Diarrhea and other water-related diseases are the most frequent causes of sickness and death, particularly among young children.  People in many regions of southern Ethiopia in particular live in remote communities that are difficult to access.  Not only are they the poor, they are the forgotten poor.  The Run For Water Society wants to help provide these people with the means to live a sustainable, healthy life.  A clean water source provides that foundation.

 

The Project for 2012

The people in the Bonke region of southern Ethiopia are among "the forgotten poor".  But Run For Water and HOPE International Development Agency are trying to change that!  In 2012, we will be aiming to raise sufficient funds to bring clean water projects to the village of Koshale.  Currently, the families in Koshale retrieve their water from a highly contaminated water source that is a 3 - 5 hours walk away.  60% percent of the children in this community do not attend school, primarily due to poor health and the daily need to collect water.  There is currently poor sanitation, limited knowledge of how to maintain good health and an astonishingly high rate of water borne diseases, particularly amongst the children.  Your donations to HOPE will change this village!