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>View discussions about this entry Country: United States
Organization: Hope Runs
Sport: Running
Year the initative began (yyyy) 2006
YouTube Upload:
Project URL: www.HopeRuns.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? Hope Runs operates in orphanages to empower HIV/AIDS orphans of all ages and abilities through extracurricular running programs.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? Although all children in developing nations deserve athletic programs, Hope Runs focuses on those children who are most neglected: HIV/AIDS orphans living in children's orphanages. In East Africa, these are the children facing the greatest barriers in life.
Children's orphanages are often the first line of defense in keeping children from lives of drug abuse, starvation, and sexual and physical abuse. By creating healthier and safer environments for kids, children's orphanages provide the hope and support that children need to build constructive and healthy lives. However, in East Africa, where millions of orphans have been made so due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, orphanages rightly spend their limited resources on feeding, clothing, and schooling the children they house. Hope Runs does the rest - using coached running programs for all ages as an entry way into enhanced on-site programming in health, social entrepreneurship, and technology. What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) face the most impossible task of overcoming their pasts. By extending even the smallest amount of the training we Westerners received growing up in a developed nation, Hope Runs aims to better equip children in Hope Runs programs for bright futures.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? Through a unique, home-based approach, Hope Runs uses running as a primary community builder in orphanages where structured after school activities and athletics programs are unheard-of luxuries. Making health a primary goal, and building off the universality of children's enthusiasm for sport, Hope Runs volunteers use running as a way to bring the community together.
However, not every child is able – due to HIV/AIDS – to run. Thus, drawing upon the kids’ sense of humor and unique personal outlook on the world, Hope Runs has other programs in social entrepreneurship, technology, and health. Most impressively, Hope Runs began the first blog (award-winning) on the Internet written by orphans and vulnerable children: www.tumainikids.blogpost.com! How do you plan to grow your innovation? With increased funding, wee plan to continue to implement Hope Runs programs in new orphanages, as well as improve upon the existing programs we already run.
The Guinness World Record Breaking Hope Runs 777 Challenge: 7 Marathons in 7 Continents in 7 Weeks will also aid us in getting our message out to the world. Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. To empower the lives of HIV/AIDS orphans living in orphanages through Hope Runs programs.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? We are proud to have made several key accomplishments, including starting the first blog on the internet written by orphans and vulnerable children, having programs planned in four orphanages for 2008. To date, our children have competed in 4 national races in Kenya - including 22 older teens who completed the Mt. Kenya marathon.
Valuable partnerships with NGOs and on-going press with major news sources have also been helpful. Our on-going relationship with Runner's World magazine has reaped us a video diary series with the Hope Runs kids, an article, and a finalist slot for the Runner's World 2007 Heroes of Running.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? In 2009, we will host the Hope Runs 777 Challenge: 7 Marathons in 7 Continents in 7 Weeks. This Guinness World Record Breaking Endeavor will aim to raise funds for the Hope Runs Education Fund.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? Lack of Funding for our Programs.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? We finance Hope Runs solely through donations - and are desperately in need!
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. Our annual budget in our first year was less than 20,000 dollars, and we struggled mightily to meet our expenses.
Our two founders work full time on a volunteer basis. Our volunteer staff consists of volunteers who spend 8-10 weeks overseas carrying out a micro-project in one of the orphanages in which we operate. We employ full time coaches overseas to carry out our programs. What is the potential demand for your innovation? The demand in great. Children's Orphanages regularly contact us about starting Hope Runs programs in their orphanages. At this point, we cannot expand further without funds.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? Our two founders - Claire and Lara - struggle with full-time volunteer positions that must be maintained in order to meet fund raising goals and fund our projects overseas. Were we to have enough in annual funds to pay for even one full time staff member we feel we would be far more effective as an organization.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. Hope Runs had its unlikely start at the end of the founders' eight-month trip around the world. Travel weary, we had settled into the Tumaini Children's Home for the last stop of a 20-country tour, and planned to use this place solely as a welcoming and comfortable base for climbing Mt. Kenya.
However, we had never seen a place so committed to community building and welfare. With experience in numerous different non-profit organizations, we knew the real thing when we saw it. It was easy for us to decide to go back, but we wanted to find a way to contribute something that further strengthened this community, and that supported the commitment to health and well-being that the Tumaini Children's Center had so prioritized. We were also committed to strengthening the ties to developed nations and funding that had kept this orphanage thriving, as it faced a period of financial struggle. We were runners ourselves, and felt it could be just the right thing for the kids. In its first year, 22 marathoners trained for 4 months and then competed in the Mt. Kenya marathon. The entire orphanage also held its first annual Hope Runs 5K and 10K race and fun run. Running seemed to be a great fit. However, not every kid was willing or able to run throughout the week. Thus, our other extracurricular programs began. International volunteers began to come into Hope Runs, and we began to hire local coaches to carry out our programming year round. Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. Lara Vogel has a BA in Human Biology and International Public Health from Stanford University. After working as a travel writer and starting the award-winning blog TrippingOnWords.com, she is now preparing for medical school.
Claire A. Williams holds a BA and an MA in Anthropology from Stanford and works as an anthropology consultant with international volunteer programs. She will begin her MBA in 2008. In 2006, at the end of a nine month trip around the world, they began Hope Runs. Contact Information:
Lara Vogel and Claire Williams
Co-Founders and Executive Directors Hope Runs (NGO) hoperuns@gmail.com; info@hoperuns.org www.hoperuns.org United States Tel: 9785052443 Website: www.hoperuns.org Discussions about this entry |
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Hope Runs: In-Orphanage Running Programs to Empower HIV/AIDS Orphans
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Hi Lara, Hi Clare
What a great story and what a fun programme! A great example of runners helping runners and helping the very vulnerable see hope and improvement in their lives.
I would like to ask a few questions about points in your programme:
- Why a blog? How do the children participate? Can they use computers and write in english or is that part of your training programme?
- Once they have that level of computer skill there would be many other opportunities opening up to them. have you thought of developing that?
- What role did your university play in your success? I see you ar eboth from Stanford and have some Stanford fans on the site. How do you leverage your university relationships to help your programme? How could you?
I also helped start a project in Kenya with vulnerable girls and running and self defense in Nairobi. http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/2279. I would be interested in hearing your comments.
All the best from Berlin
HC
Heather Cameron
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Lara & Claire,
What a great program! Very inspiring.
I become a runner as I was going to my cancer treatments this past year, and just completed my first marathon last November (NYC). Running was so theraputic as I went through my experience with cancer -- it cleared my head and reminded me to take one step at a time.
In terms of expansion, do you think you organization can serve other causes -- using running as a mechanism to overcome various challenges with a "one step at a time" underlying message? Running is so rich with stories from Nike's history to Terry Fox to Fred Lebow, and you might be able to leverage that to help a variety of causes. Or, is it best to focus on one cause as your niche?
Great job and best of luck.
Harrie Bakst
Hi Harrie,
Thanks so much for your support, and we are so glad to hear that running helped you to heal and get back on your feet. Indeed - our model could be used for wider purposes...and we're always open to new ideas!
Thanks again,
Claire
Hope Runs
Partnering with Children to Outpace Poverty www.HopeRuns.org
- 32, 244 Miles Run
- 2,620 Donated Pairs of Running Shoes
- 26 Marathoners
- First Blog on the Internet Written by Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
Claire & Lara,
BRAVO! I think your program is phenomenal. It is well thought out, inclusive, inspiring, and will be life changing for many of the young people that will encounter it. I personally can relate to your program because I was abandoned by my parent’s at the age of six and never had contact with them again – I was a member of the OVC community. During my formative years, I was raised by my elderly grandfather. Running was my “ticket” to possibilities and hopes of a better life. My ability to run and my gift of swift feet presented an opportunity for me to play many sports and to find a new place to belong and grow as a person – it changed my life’s path! I really think your effort deserves financial support and I hope that an organization like Nike, that is rich in a running heritage, gives your program a long, hard look beyond this competition. Your program is rooted in so much of Nike’s culture of beating the odds and defying what’s perceived to be possible. Keep encouraging the young people to share their stories and perhaps even including some of the magic found in their voices & faces via the Participatory Video (PV) program. Perhaps, PV could allow them to deliver their story with even more passion & purpose. All the best to you both & keep providing orphans and vulnerable children a chance to chase their dreams!
Hi Kevin,
We are sorry we are so late to respond to your comment - but we are so grateful for the nice grant you made available to us. We would love to get in touch with you personally if possible.
Our email is info@hoperuns.org.
All our best and thanks again!
We are checking out PV right now,
Claire Williams
Hope Runs
Partnering with Children to Outpace Poverty www.HopeRuns.org
- 17, 244 Miles Run
- 1, 020 Donated Pairs of Running Shoes
- 157 Runners
- 26 Marathoners
- First Blog on the Internet Written by Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Hi Kevin,
We are sorry we are so late to respond to your comment - but we are so grateful for the nice grant you made available to us. We would love to get in touch with you personally if possible.
Our email is info@hoperuns.org.
All our best and thanks again!
We are checking out PV right now,
Claire Williams
Hope Runs
Partnering with Children to Outpace Poverty www.HopeRuns.org
- 17, 244 Miles Run
- 1, 020 Donated Pairs of Running Shoes
- 157 Runners
- 26 Marathoners
- First Blog on the Internet Written by Orphans and Vulnerable Children
I have watched Hope Runs grow from its inception, and am continually impressed by the energy, optimism and hard work its two founders bring to the project. It is a program that empowers both orphans and volunteers, and I look forward to seeing its lasting effects.
Amalia McGibbon
Stanford University '04
We really appreciate your support, Lana, and hope you continue to follow our work!
Hope Runs
Partnering with Children to Outpace Poverty www.HopeRuns.org
- 17, 244 Miles Run
- 1, 020 Donated Pairs of Running Shoes
- 157 Runners
- 26 Marathoners
- First Blog on the Internet Written by Orphans and Vulnerable Children
i am so in awe of these two girls and the amazing program they have set up. they definitely deserve to win.
lana sanchez
university of san diego school of law
stanford university
The people currently volunteering with and coaching the kids at Tumaini are amazing individuals who bring a lot of life to the project. Having lugged hundreds of pounds of used, donated shoes halfway across the world to give to the kids, their dedication and desire to see the program succeed and the kids' lives changed is tremendous. Any support given to HopeRuns would be exceptionally well used.
Thanks so much Tarnish, we were glad that you had a great experience with Hope Runs this summer and hope that you will come back one day to work with our kids!
Best,
Hope Runs
Partnering with Children to Outpace Poverty www.HopeRuns.org
- 17, 244 Miles Run
- 1, 020 Donated Pairs of Running Shoes
- 157 Runners
- 26 Marathoners
- First Blog on the Internet Written by Orphans and Vulnerable Children
I spent 2 months living at the Tumiani Orphanage in Nyeri, Kenya, located in the shadow of the impressive Mount Kenya. The children that lived at the orphanage had come from all over Kenya and each had their own story of hardship and suffering. The running program that has been started at the orphanage was truly inspiring to see; the children felt empowered and confident in their sport, their school, and their lives. Sports are an amazing tool which can help develop physical strength as well as mental strength; the ability to overcome challenges, even small feats, can leave a positive impression on vulnerable children. This program is an amazing opportunity to help children; with more funding and support it could grow to help even more children around the world.