It's Great Britain's biggest ever sporting year. What sporting challenge are you going to do?
Come and Run for Congo Women!
Why Run for Congo Women? The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) presents one of the world's deadliest emergencies to date. The conflict has claimed over 5.4 million lives since 1998. The death toll is the equivalent to an Asian Tsunami every 6.5 months, a September 11th every 2.5 days. This conflict has particularly affected women and girls as they are systematically raped as a combat strategy to terrorise and humiliate. Tens of thousands of women and girls have experienced sexual violence - some raped whilst on the way to school, others while fetching water, and many are kept as sex slaves for soldiers. The situation is so extreme that Margot Wallström, the UN’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, called DRC the "rape capital of the world."
Your support enables women recovering from the conflict to rebuild and transform their lives – join us today.
Join our next Run for Congo Women in June 2012
- Title: Run for Congo Women
- Date: Sunday 3rd June 2012
- Time: Registration starts from 8am, race starts at 9am
- Location: Regents Park, London
- Distance: 10K
- Donation fee: £20 (This amount covers race organisation fees so that 100% of your fundraising can go to our programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
"I was raped in 2005 while I already had two children. Four men raped me. When they came to my house, they took my husband outside and tied him to a banana tree and then they raped me." Alliance Ntakwinja, DRC
Alliance enrolled in the Women for Women programme and trained in soap making. She spoke about the rape for the first time to her life skills trainer.
Your fundraising helps to change the lives of women like Alliance
Fundraising is an important part of Run for Congo Women and we ask that each participant aims to raise £300 – enabling more women to enter into the programme and transform their lives. Watch this short clip about Women for Women International’s work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
100% of the funds you raise will go directly to Women for Women International’s programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, enabling women affected by the conflict to rebuild their lives. Since Run for Congo Women began in the UK our amazing supporters, including the Strictly Come Dancing celebrity Pamela Stephenson-Connolly, Chris Jackson who ran the most dangerous marathon in the world, and Lisa Shannon, the founder of Run for Congo Women have raised over £100,000!
Every hour 48 women in DRC get raped
To date, 47,000 women have taken part in our programme in DRC.
You have collectively raised £100,000 for the women of Congo
This is enough for over 660 women to take part in life skills training
Does £300 seem like an intimidating amount? We are here to guide you every step of the way and ensure that you raise as much as possible to support women like Alliance. Previous runners have held bake sales and film screenings to boost their target, with some achieving over £1,000! Remember that you will also be raising awareness of the conflict in DRC and the work of Women for Women International, which is invaluable.
Download your Runner's Fundraising pack and learn more - 4.1MB .zip file.
Do your own thing
- Organise your own Run for Congo Women team event.
Download the Organiser’s Starter Pack.
Organiser's Starter Pack - 3.5MB .zip file - Run solo! Find an organised run in your region, get registered and start fundraising. Browse race diary.
- Don't like running? Feel free to organise a Bike for Congo, Trek for Congo, Swim for Congo - the possibilities are endless as long as you're committed. If you have questions email runforcongouk@womenforwomen.org or call us on 0207 922 7767, we would love to hear your ideas.
Save the date
Our next Run for Congo Women will take place on Sunday 2nd September 2012, in Regent's Park, London – to register early email runforcongouk@womenforwomen.org.
