Photo courtesy of Stephanie Benzia Photography.
Runners take off from the start line during the 2022 Foundations 4 Hope 5K in Trussville.
More than 300 runners are expected to race through the streets of Downtown Trussville in October for the second year of the Foundations 4 Hope 5K.
The goal of the 5K is to fundraise provide access to clean drinking water throughout eastern Africa as well as to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in the region.
According to Foundations 4 Hope Vice President of U.S. Operations Matt Mullinax, the inaugural event in 2022 raised enough money to build freshwater wells for 10 African villages in areas where obtaining safe and clean water is a daily struggle and waterborne diseases, such as dysentery and typhoid, are widespread.
"I was in Kenya this past year, and there was a lady digging a hole in the side of a swamp. She was panning the water out of the hole and then pouring it into her can," Mullinax said. "That's the reason these waterborne illnesses are so prevalent."
Foundations 4 Hope specifically focuses on the nations of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan. Estimates from various world health sources estimate that one in four children born in Africa will not reach the age of 15 due to poor access to health care and clean water.
A typical well built by Foundations 4 Hope not only provides safe and clean water for an entire village but allows young women and girls the opportunity to attend school and church services, Mullinax said. He has witnessed girls travel as much as 12 miles per day to fetch water for basic daily needs. These wells make it possible for girls to pursue an education as well as deepen their faith in Christ.
"They get up when the sun comes up and that's what they start doing, fetching water. And they still have to do all of the food prep and do the laundry," Mullinax said. "Providing these clean water wells just allows them to have a quality of life.”
The funds raised via the Foundations 4 Hope 5K and other donations also support the building of churches and living expenses for pastors in villages throughout the region.
Additionally, Foundations 4 Hope supports a school in Haiti that launched in 2017 with fewer than 10 children. Today, the school serves more than 350 children with a 98% graduation rate.
The Foundations 4 Hope 5K will also feature a specialty race called the Jerry Can 5K Relay. Consisting of a team of three racers, each team in the Jerry Can 5K will complete the 5K with a jerry can filled with five gallons (42 pounds) of water for men's teams and three gallons (25 pounds) of water for women's teams. The event gives participants the opportunity to experience the difficulty of carrying water in eastern Africa.
Registration for the Foundations 4 Hope 5k or the Jerry Can Relay is $35 per person. Register online at runsignup.com/Race/AL/Trussville/Foundations4Hope5K.
