A Chilliwack mom is spending quality time jogging along the Vedder River with her young son, hoping to build awareness around the limited water supply of the world.
Cara Abrahams, a new resident of Chilliwack, has committed to running the 10 km Run for Water event being held in Abbotsford on May 27.
She’s not just running the course, though, she’s also raising money for water projects in southern Ethiopia.
Run for Water is an annual event that partners with Hope International Development Agency, a Canadian-based, non-profit, international development agency committed to helping the world’s poorest families work their way out of poverty.
This year’s run will be supporting a water project in the Bonke District of Koshale, and will consist of 18 km worth of pipeline, with seven water points and four cattle troughs. Once completed, it will take an average of just three minutes to fetch water.
Quite an improvement from the district’s current state.
Less than 15 per cent of the community’s 8,000 population have access to clean water. Many of the community’s women and children are forced to walk three-to-five hours a day to retrieve buckets of water from a contaminated source – resulting in waterborne diseases, death, and poor education.
“It just hit me how our lives here in North America have a lot of water in them – like all people need – but it’s all clean water and hardly thought of,” said Abrahams. “We wash ourselves, our dishes, our clothes with water. We run it until it’s cool, heat it in the dishwasher to sanitize our dishes, and use it to pressure wash buildings.
“But in this region in Ethiopia, water is the focus of the day and dictates the day’s activities.”
While Abrahams has been a casual runner for years, she’s only recently discovered the endorphins of racing.
Run for Water will be her first 10 km run.
“I’m excited about being able to help raise some money that will go to Hope Development Agency’s work in this region in Ethiopia,” she said. “Wells with clean water will change lives over there and help people live longer.”
A donation of $35 will provide a child in Ethiopia with clean water for life. Donations of $20 will receive a tax receipt.
Deadline for donating is May 20.
Anyone interested in supporting Cara Abrahams can contact her through email at runningcara@gmail.com.