LocationsStrides for Resilience: How a Half-Marathon Sparked a Movement
December 16, 2024
Participants at the Elgon Half Marathon
The spirit of unity under one cause swept the fields of Mbale Sports Grounds, Nabokotom Primary School (Amudat), and Tororo District Headquarters. In the lead up to the second edition of the Elgon Half Marathon, a series of impactful activities that included tree planting, community walks, dialogues, and awareness campaigns, set the stage for the highly anticipated Elgon Half Marathon. These activities brought local communities, international organizations, religious groups, civil society and private sector partners together, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collective action towards eliminating gender-based violence, promoting environmental conservation and addressing climate change.
Participants at the Elgon Half Marathon
Set against the breathtaking background of Mount Elgon, the half-marathon celebrated the region’s natural tapestry of beauty and biodiversity, immersing participants in the landscapes we aim to protect. The routes used passed through vibrant and tranquil communities, allowing runners and supporters to appreciate and advocate for conservation and sustainability of the landscape. One awe-stricken participant likened the Elgon scenery to that of the Swiss Alps, emphasizing the region’s eco-tourism potential. Through the marathon JOCDEF, UNDP and supporting partners emphasized the urgency behind preserving Mount Elgon’s ecosystem and raising awareness about the environmental and social issues facing Uganda’s communities like deforestation, GBV, unsustainable farming, floods, and habitat loss.
Preserving the environment
The urgent need to sustainably preserve the environment and the region’s rich biodiversity was one of the Elgon half-marathon’s key messages. The event highlighted Mount Elgon’s essential role as a water catchment for local rivers and major lakes like Victoria, Turkana and Kyoga. It drew attention to the critical issues facing its eco system like deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, floods and habitat loss. The half-marathon advocated for climate-smart farming urging communities to take on eco-friendly farming practices, while also promoting the benefits of tree growing.
Through partnerships with environmental bodies like Uganda Wildlife Authority, National Forestry Authority and National Environmental Management Authority, the half-marathon supported tourism-based conservation and encourages eco-tourism as a sustainable livelihood option, hence offering indigenous communities with an incentive to protect the flora and fauna of Mount Elgon.
Students participate in tree growing activities in Mbale
Bridging the gaps in the fight against GBV
The events surrounding the run and community walks took place shortly after the devastating loss of Uganda’s prominent athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who fell victim to the cold gruesome hands of Gender-Based violence. The Elgon half-marathon aimed to stand in solidarity with the sisterhood of women’s rights activists in Kenya to mourn her and strongly condemn all forms of violence against women by bringing much-needed attention to the pervasive issue of GBV. Supported by the EU Spotlight Initiative, in collaboration with religious groups, civil society and private sector partners, the half-marathon’s outreach included several pre-half marathon ac activities like community walks, tree planting, and awareness campaigns aimed to educate communities on GBV, menstrual hygiene, and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). The activities included 5Km community walks, community dialogues and planting of trees both in Tororo, Mbale and Amudat Districts.
Community dialogue session in Amudat
Empowering Women and Girls
Bridging the gap between law enforcement and GBV survivors was prioritized as a cornerstone of the fight against gender-based violence during the community walks. Law enforcement officers took part in special training sessions to learn how to handle GBV cases with empathy and professionalism. The community members were also given the opportunity to engage in safe spaces with the mobile legal aid clinics where they could share their experiences, learn about their rights, and understand the avenues available for legal recourse. These mobile legal aid clinics were made possible through partnerships with FIDA Uganda, Uganda Law Society and UN Women.
With Uganda having the highest teenage pregnancy rate in East Africa, advocating for girls’ education and protection was one of the identified core ways of tackling GBV at its roots. During the community outreach, topics that are often shrouded in cultural taboos were openly discussed. Women were educated on their rights, contraceptive options, sexual, reproductive and menstrual health and how to access critical healthcare services. The inclusion of male allies in the discussion on the consequences, prevention and reporting mechanisms for GBV cases created a more inclusive environment, fostering shared understanding and collective responsibility for reproductive health and zero tolerance for violence against women and girls, creating a ripple effect that uplifts entire communities.
These events recognized that women face the brunt force of climate change related shocks due to their roles and interaction with nature in resource use, water collection and food security. The events advocated for equal, inclusive participation of men and women in climate action and resource management hence contributing to a more balanced approach to sustainable development.
Community members join Joshua Cheptegei during the walk in Tororo
Using Spots as a catalyst for change
By blending sports with advocacy and cultural celebration, this marathon created a movement that resonated far beyond the finish line. The event’s message was clear; through united efforts, we can eliminate gender-based violence, protect the environment, take action on climate change, and promote sustainable tourism to build stronger resilient communities.
The marathon championed sustainable tourism by incorporating cultural showcases and performances that reiterated the role environmental sustainability plays with promoting tourism and preserving the rich heritage and culture of the Elgon region. The impactful work done by this event would have turned out void if not for the invaluable support, contribution of diverse perspectives and steadfast commitment of our partners. They played a pivotal role in turning the vision of the second edition of the Elgon Half Marathon into an attainable and inclusive reality. Their support extended beyond logistics and funding to incorporating messages and best practices on advocacy, community outreach, and resource sharing enabling the building of a network of change makers.
On that note, special thanks goes out to the shared dedication of Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority, National Forestry Authority, National Environmental Management Authority, UNIDO, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, FAO, USAID, Uganda Airlines, Stanbic Bank, Amref Health Africa, Infinix, Total Energies, Hima Cement, Nivana, Nile Breweries, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, Vision Group, Nation Media Group, and NBS Sport for the role they played in evolving the marathon from a platform for change to a movement that united people to take strides for resilience and sustainable eco-friendly livelihoods.
By Yvette Kaddu, UNDP Programme Associate