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UPDATE: Bashaw volunteer walks 17 km to support education in Africa

UPDATE:
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Mary Sproule Manuel. (Photo submitted)

UPDATE:

Mary Sproule Manuel completed her walk on April 15, and chose to go for 17 kilometres, taking a total of six hours and 20 minutes.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Bashaw resident Mary Sproule Manuel (Formerly of Ponoka County) will walk 10 kilometres in April, in the Virtual Vancouver Sun Run, to encourage donations to KEEF, a small all-volunteer Canadian charity supporting the education of youth in Kenya, East Africa.

High school is not free in Kenya. This is Sproule Manuel’s second year supporting KEEF, (the Kenya Education Endowment Fund), through the Sun Run. In 2021, her young grandchildren walked the final kilometre with her to celebrate her success.

Donations in recognition of her efforts will support two KEEF programs: Students Support and Mentoring and Leadership.

Student Support lends scientific calculators, reference/study materials, and bikes for day school students to KEEF-sponsored students. It also provides needed eye glasses and urgent dental care to support student success.

Mentoring and Leadership funds nominated KEEF students to return to their former school after graduation to mentor students there. All students can benefit from the mentoring service, not just current KEEF-sponsored youth.

The KEEF graduates/mentors are then enrolled in a nine-month online Leadership Skills course while they attend post-secondary studies. KEEF provides a laptop and some funds for Internet access to the certificate course.

To support Sproule Manuel’s and enable more students to be educated through KEEF, you can donate online at www.kenyaeducation.org. Indicate the donation is for “Sun Run 22.”

Tax-deductible receipts will be sent out in May for all donations.