Being aware of child poverty across the globe is something that escapes none of us. We all know it’s there, but sadly we do not see the extent of just how desperate the situation is unless it touches us to our core.
It was three months of a volunteering trip to Uganda that inspired Challenge Child Poverty. For 90 eye-opening, yet heart-wrenching days we worked with two projects, Amari Uganda and Saved on Street, both of which work hard to put an end to child poverty. The cruelty and deprivation we witnessed was shocking; with little to eat and drink, without a roof over their heads and danger in every corner of their lives, we saw first-hand the neglect and suffering that children as young as toddlers had to endure.
We firmly believe that no child should have to suffer in this way. No child should have to grow into an adult with the conviction that the world is an evil place, devoid of love and humanity. Too many children who live in poverty around the world grow up with this mindset, believing the world is harsh, cold and cruel, because what they needed so desperately in childhood was denied to them.
We can do so much for those who have so little. Challenge Child Poverty believes that we have a duty and moral obligation to protect and nurture those who need it the most. Our charity is made up of runners – people who have run for pleasure, for competition and for health.
Now we run to save lives.
Our charity stages running events and 100% of the funds go towards ending child poverty around the globe. Never did we think that running could make such a difference, but it can and it will.
''Every step we take together, We grant a child a better
future''
Founded in 2019 by SAS: Who Dares Wins finalist, Steven Crompton, Challenge Child Poverty offers structured support and grants to projects across the globe to help alleviate the suffering of children stricken with poverty. The following is our mantra:
No Child should have to face extreme adversity alone.
No Adult should have to recover from their childhood.
We will Stand side by side with the unfortunate children in our world and offer our support.
The belief in our cause leads us to organising and participating in running events across the UK and wider world. Three months in Uganda was enough to expose the horrors inflicted on these children, as well as the firm conviction that we had to take action on it.
While we were there, we identified projects who were doing fantastic work to save lives, notably Amari Uganda and Saved on Street. Statistics inform us that over 100 million children live on the streets around the world; in Uganda alone 15,000 children struggle, with no home to call their own or knowing when their next meal will come.
We hope to educate and inspire others to join this fight; the more of us involved, the more lives we save. Only by working together and joining forces can we become strong enough to conquer the extreme struggles these children suffer around the world. Please browse around our website for upcoming events and find out how you, too, can make a difference.
Our aim is to relieve and prevent child poverty worldwide, We will stage 24 hour running events and our partners, supporters and trustees will be taking on mammoth challenges to raise funds.
Our chairman and trustee Steven Crompton will be running Across Africa 4000km from the East coast of Tanzania to the West coast of Namibia in January 2020, We will attempt to make the distance over 90 days and we will be raising money for Challenge Child Poverty.
We can then offer grants to projects that we feel can make a difference in the relief and prevention of child poverty. We are set to stage our first 24 hour running event at the Powderham Castle in Exeter on the 16th of May 2020.
One of our initial goals is to ensure that the Amari project can carry on supporting children off the streets. The current compound the children are living in is up for sale and they have one term left before having to find somewhere else, these children have been through enough and with your help we can raise enough funds to build a long term secure compound.
This will give the children a secure place to allow them time and space to heal their wounds and get an education. Martin Stuart the founder of the project was once a street child himself and knows just how tough street life is and how difficult it is to escape. He has a great vision to get children off the streets.
Many children end up their after escaping poverty, abuse or often parents passing away from HIV and disease at home. When a child ends up on the street they will suffer even more poverty and abuse.
Together we can give these brave children a chance to heal their wounds and through our fundraising events get them back into education and give every child a childhood they deserve.
We spent two months volunteering alongside Samuel Sekitto and saved on street. Sam a former street child had a vision to prevent the youth in rural Uganda from ending up on the street by working within the communities to identify children whom may end up on the street due to poverty and empower them with the tools to be able to be a valued member of the community through supporting the children into education and promoting farming to grow food.
Sam is currently building a rehabilitation centre for the youth to learn life skills and a place to deal with any traumas they may have suffered by reaching out to families living in poverty he is preventing children from ending up on the street and we would like to support saved on street to enable them to sponsor many more children back into education and help families to put food on the table.
Running for life
Through staging running events we aim to raise awareness and funds to support children living in poverty worldwide.
Fighting Inequality
One of the main reasons Challenge Child Poverty was founded this year was after we spent three months volunteering in Uganda with saved on street whom work to save and prevent children living on the streets we ended up sponsoring 4 children to go back to school. It is the most meaningful thing we have ever done. If you want to sponsor a child to go to school and a chance to escape poverty get in touch.
Making a Difference
Volunteer Opportunities are always available and in great need. We have trusted partners in Uganda saved on street and Amari that are desperate for volunteers to help the children all over Uganda we spent 3 months coaching football and athletics to the primary schools, we taught ethics and English to the secondary schools and worked with street children and formed a new football team made up up from ex street children just about anybody can do the work we did. If your willing to share your knowledge and inspire the children whilst having a life changing experience contact us for more information.
Treat Others as You’d Like to Be Treated
One of our goals is to ensure that the most vulnerable and at-risk groups of children in the world are safe and have their basic needs taken care of. With your generous donations and volunteering efforts, you have the capacity to help us in our endeavour of Clothing vulnerable children. Contact us if you can help and would like more information.
Get Involved today!
