Donned in ActionAid branded bandanas with the message ‘Fund our Future, be part of the solution,’ the ActionAid Kenya marathon team successfully ran and completed the Standard and Chartered Nairobi marathon to keep fit and pass a message to the world on the need for concerted efforts to address the climate crisis. The marathon is held annually, with each year having a key objective. This 20th edition of the marathon aims to plant 2 million trees in the next 5 years to promote environmental sustainability. The marathon was held on Sunday, 29th October 2023, along the Southern bypass in Nairobi.
Throughout the race, red, white, and black bandanas with ActionAid logo could be seen in the multitude, and as you moved closer, the message was clear on the need to be part of the climate solution. ActionAid Kenya had a team of 17 marathoners; 15 participated in the 10 km race, and 2 participated in the 21km race. The group gladly finished the race and achieved the objective of keeping fit and communicating the need to fund climate solutions that are people-centred, not profit-centred. The marathon attracted 22,400 runners from over 90 nationalities. Women and Persons with Disabilities were well represented, with 45% of the runners being female and 200 PWDS (Source: Standard and Chartered Marathon)
ActionAid Kenya marathoners
Fund Our Future is a climate campaign involving more than 70 ActionAid offices and hundreds of allies. The movement calls for investors still piling money into fossil fuels and industrial agriculture in the Global South to divest from these harmful activities. Through this campaign, we are asking for renewable energy investments and public and private support towards agroecological solutions that promote food security and social justice.
The campaign also calls on governments (including Kenya) to mobilise significant resources to finance climate action through policies that address tax avoidance and illicit finance flows, ensure ambitious and progressive tax reforms, and put fair tax obligations on wealthy corporations and individuals.
The campaign also calls on the Kenyan government and other governments in the Global South to stop supporting and subsidising harmful industrial agriculture activities, including applying chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, and deforestation.
Author: Ezra Kiriago, Communications Coordinator. ActionAid Kenya