Tumaini Children's Ministry - June 2022 Update
Nyeri, Kenya
Tumaini Runners’ Program
The Tumaini Runners’ Program was started in 2007 by two young women who had recently graduated from Stanford University. Following their graduation, the young women, avid amateur runners, embarked on an adventure taking them around the world to participate in marathons across the globe. A stop in Kenya found them looking for a place to stay for a race taking place in the Mt. Kenya Region in the Central Highlands. A long-time donor to the Tumaini Children’s Center, a home for vulnerable children in Nyeri, Kenya, gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse. In exchange for accommodations, they had to promise to visit Tumaini and spend some time with the children. Out of that encounter, the Tumaini Runners’ Program was born.
The young women fell in love with the children and saw the potential in many of them to become strong runners. And, from their own experience with running, recognized the great value disciplined running could add to the children’s lives. Their goal was to teach the children the importance of running, not only for the physical benefit but also to foster overall physical and mental health and personal discipline.
As the program grew and more and more children participated, the need for a qualified coach and regular training hours became essential. Coach Titus, a native of the Nyeri area, had the necessary qualifications and professional background, along with a passion for training young athletes. Pictured here in blue, he was hired to work with the children
About 40 children now participate in the running program, ranging in age from 10 to 18 years. The runners train with Coach Titus for 12 to 16 hours per week. They run in the early morning and early evening hours, six days per week. The runners participate in eight to ten races per year, depending on funding, and always perform very well, with a number of children regularly taking first, second and third place in the various events.
Funding for this program is provided by donors who see the value of the program for the children’s optimal development. The funding not only supports the entry fees and transportation to and from the races but also provides Coach Titus’s salary, running shoes, uniforms, and proper training equipment.
Read more about Tumaini Children’s Ministry HERE.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Outreach Foundation is raising funds for operations for the Tumaini Runners’ Program and the Tumaini Children’s Ministry which feeds, houses, clothes, educates, and cares for these children. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.