15 Miles for 15 Years

In 2013, after finishing university, I packed my bags and headed across the Atlantic to volunteer for Nuevas Esperanzas in Leon, Northern Nicaragua for 6 months. Now 7 years later, I am proudly a board member for this incredible organization and  raising money for their water and agricultural projects for people living on the Telica Volcano.

The pandemic has changed many things about our daily lives but can you imagine getting through this without having access to clean water in your home? Wait… can you imagine what that’s like even without a global pandemic? That’s why I am raising money this year.

And it's not just drinking water. Northern Nicaragua is particularly susceptible to draughts and, especially on Telica, acid rain. These weather events can destroy whole crops of beans that are traditionally grown in the region, leaving people without a much needed source of income. Nuevas Esperanzas has all the expertise to get families on their feet growing and selling alternative crops, pineapple and dragonfruit, that are much hardier. They just need our help to do it.

15 years generally isn't a cause for much fanfare in the places I call home (the US and UK) but in Latin America, it's when you pull out all the stops. Your quinceañera (15th birthday) is when you put on your glad rags, hire a DJ and find the biggest cake on the planet to consume amongst friends and family.

So on Saturday November 7th I'm pulling out all the stops, running further than I ever have before and with much more climbing. And coordinating with 3 friends around the world! I'll be running my 15 miles up Mount Diablo in the SF Bay Area. This will include 3480ft of climbing representing the height of the Telica Volcano.

Please donate what you can, every cent donated would mean the world to me and the families on Telica.

Thank you so much!