Charity news: Mimi Anderson and Samantha Gash are about to set off on their 2350km run across the Freedom Trail to support young South African women
After two years of planning today Mimi Anderson is leaving for South Africa and the start of her biggest and toughest challenge to date.
On the 24th September she and Samantha Gash, will be setting off on their 2,000 plus km run along the Freedom Trail in South Africa. The run starts outside the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and goes through some of the most remote but beautiful parts of South Africa finishing in Paarl just outside Cape Town.
They plan to run for 32 days, covering anything from 48km - 95.6km each day, over technical terrain with a cumulative ascent of 37,000m. The highest point on the route is 2,700m above sea level and they will be staying with local farmers along the route.
The aim of the run is to raise awareness & £27,500 to enable Save the Children to set up a social enterprise business in the Free State making re-usable sanitary pads. 1 in 3 girls miss out on 4/5 days of school each month due to their periods as they simply are unable to afford to buy sanitary pad - many of the girls eventually drop out of school altogether. By not continuing with their education this then impacts on the rest of their lives, taking away choices they should by rights be able to have.
The project will also help provide education for schoolgirls and women on health and hygiene, as well as life skills training and workshops for parents and students about the importance of attending school. It’s a very simple way of making a massive difference for girls in South Africa.
During her John O'Groats to Lands End World Record in 2008 Mimi had a PINK dot that enabled supporters and fans to follow her progress down the length of the UK. Inkerman Group will be providing the PINK dot once again, so you can follow Samantha and Mimi as they run/stagger/crawl their way across South Africa. (www.freedomrunners.org/thetracker/)
There will be updates/photos/videos put up when possible on @2Freedomrunners, @marvellousmimi, www.facebook.com/pages/Marvellousmimi/292383870915727, www.facebook.com/2Freedomrunners and www.freedomrunners.org. If she has the energy Mimi will try and put a blog up on her website www.marvellousmimi.com.
If you would like to make a donation you can do so by going to our Save the Children fund raising page donate.savethechildren.org.au/FreedomRunners
