Shoe4Africa

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Shoe4Africa

Nonprofit, helping out in East Africa. Public Hospital, six schools, women's empowerment program. Twelve years after the project started.

The Foot Africa logo is copyrighted, and was designed by SUM design in 2007. The name was 'made' in 2000 after the founder was robbed for one shoe on the eve of the millennium; one bare foot imprint was on the Zanzibar beach when the founder limped three miles to save his life.

06/08/2026

Every month for the past two years, we have gathered around the table. The contractor, the architect, the sub-contractors, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital staff, and me, as Chair of the Construction Implementation Team, all working towards two landmark projects for Eldoret.

The first is the SHOE4AFRICA Juli Anne Perry Children's Cancer Hospital—the first dedicated children's cancer hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. The second is the MTRH Harry J. Dyer Burns Unit—the only freestanding hospital in East Africa dedicated solely to children with burns. Buildings that are going to have a massive impact on the lives of public children.

It has been a long, long journey. There have been challenges, delays, frustrations, and countless decisions to make. But brick by brick, floor by floor, we are getting there.

Today, I simply want to give a shout-out to the team.

Rudra Builders. Atticspace Architects. Metrix. Norkun. And the incredible MTRH team—John T, Stanley D, Paul A, and Evans K. Thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and perseverance.

As John wisely said during the meeting, one day we will all be long forgotten. The buildings will remain, and thousands upon thousands of children will pass through their doors, never knowing the names of those who made them possible. Yes, it is a paid job, but team...after all these meetings, I won't forget you guys.

03/08/2026

Motivational Monday: Imagine sitting in a hall full of children, watching a man the world now calls one of its greatest marathon runners quietly tell them:
"When I was your age, I used to walk six kilometres to school... barefoot."

No self-pity. No complaints. Just a true memory of a self-made man who is today a sports celebratory.
That was the moment all the kids at the All4Running Club in Iten fell silent.

Amanal Petros, World Marathon Championships silver medallist, and Mahammad Mahammad, one of Britain's leading marathoners, had just finished their own training sessions as they taper for the European Championships in Birmingham. Yet they took time out of their busy schedules to spend a morning with our children.
Both men shared extraordinary journeys.

Refugees from East Africa, they arrived in Europe with little more than hope. They had to learn new languages, adapt to new cultures, and build their running careers from the ground up. Nothing was handed to them. Every opportunity was earned the hard way.

As Amanal spoke about being raised by a single mother and walking those long kilometres to school each day without shoes, I looked at the kids listening.

Perhaps they have felt a moment where they believed they were hard done by, but every child at our club was wearing shoes. I could see them asking themselves, ‘what excuses do any of us really have if Amanal made it in conditions harsher than what we face?’

Success has a remarkable way of changing perspective. Years ago, Amanal was simply another young boy with big dreams. Today, he stands before the next generation, not talking about medals or records, but about perseverance, humility, and refusing to let circumstances define your future.
That, to me, is what real champions do.

In two weeks' time, our club will gather to watch the European Championships together, proudly cheering on our new Shoe4Africa ambassadors. But the race we'll remember most may not be the one in Birmingham where we hope these men will have amazing races. It will be the one they described at our club…the race from poverty in Ethiopia facing mountains of challenges to possibility of a golden future; they have taken uncertainty and somehow made it opportunity, and their own life stories are now inspiring countless children.

These are the opportunities we want every young person at All4Running to experience: not just meeting champions of the sport, but meeting humble people whose stories remind them that greatness begins long, long before the finish line of any race.

Thank you, Amanal and Mahammad, for your generosity, your wisdom, and for leaving an imprint on hearts of our young team. They may one day change the world themselves like you are doing, and for sure, they will remember the life lessons you gave them on
this day.

28/07/2026

Our Directors...run!

Last Saturday, our very own All4Running Director, Linda Chelimo Saina, whose father was the late Hon. William Morogo Arap Saina, MP for Eldoret North, laced up her running shoes and joined the kids for their weekly training run.
Judging by the smiles (and perhaps too many giggles), she seemed to have far too much fun!

This week also reminded us yet that All4Running is about so much more than sport. We were delighted to welcome a young outpatient from the Shoe4Africa Children's Hospital in Eldoret, Shiro, to spend the day with the children in Iten.

Watching friendships form through running, games, reading, and laughter was a beautiful reminder that healing isn't confined to our hospital walls, but, for our patients we try (and do) go the extra mile. In fact, as a treat she was taken for a celebration "recovery and discharge" meal at the Iten Club afterwards

Meanwhile, our French connection continues to grow. Our French teacher and coach, Leandre has begun a much more immersive language programme, creating exciting opportunities for our young athletes. Our hope is that, in the coming years, this pathway will lead to scholarships and educational opportunities in France for some of our children.

At All4Running, every Saturday is about stepping forward, and whether it's taking the next stride on the running track, learning a new language, making a new friend, or building confidence for the future, we are there for the kids.

And we're especially excited that this Saturday we'll be honoured to welcome Athletics Kenya to our centre. We look forward to sharing our vision and showcasing how sport is a door-opener to health, education, and golden opportunity.

24/07/2026

Happy Birthday, Nancy Wagner! 🎉

Yesterday was a special day as we celebrated the birthday of former athlete , now living in Germany. Instead of simply celebrating her own day, Nancy chose to spend part of it bringing joy to the children at the Shoe4Africa Children's Hospital.

She visited us together with marathoner Jonathan Maiyo (2:04), Miriam from Nova Physiotherapy, and Faith, and arrived with chocolates and a donation to support our work. What a beautiful reminder that birthdays can be about giving as well as receiving.

Nancy, thank you for your kindness, generosity, and compassionate heart. We look forward to welcoming you back in October with your German team.
From everyone at Shoe4Africa, we wish you a wonderful year ahead filled with happiness, good health, and many more blessings.

22/07/2026

New arrival...and it is not a child!
What a joy this new trampoline has brought!

Thanks to heavy use, this is now the third trampoline we've purchased for the Shoe4Africa Children's Hospital, and according to our young patients, it's the best one yet!

A huge thank you to our wonderful supporter Charlie & Corinne R. for generously donating the funds.

Like me when I was a child, most of our patients have never experienced a trampoline before. Watching their faces light up is simply magical. For a little while, illnesses, pain, and worries are forgotten. Instead, there is laughter, joy, freedom, and endless energy.

If there were ever a non-medicinal therapy that deserved recognition, this 16-foot trampoline would rank near the top. It gets children moving, smiling, and simply enjoying being children again.

Here at the Shoe4Africa Children's Hospital, we always try to go one step further; not just treating illness, but creating an environment where children genuinely enjoy their stay and can rediscover the simple happiness of play.

Thank you again to everyone who helps make moments like these possible. ❤️

19/07/2026

Like the Jamaican bobsleigh team... we're proving you don't have to grow up playing a sport to fall in love with it!

At the All4Running Centre in Iten, while the older boys and girls are out hammering out a hard tempo run, our youngest athletes have discovered a new passion, playing volleyball!

Thanks to our new hard court, Coach Leandre (whose height definitely comes in handy!) has been introducing the younger kids to the basics of serving, passing, and spiking. Judging by the laughter and excitement, Kenya might just have a few future volleyball stars in the making!

Earlier in the day, the little ones were simply being kids...out on the field hopping, skipping, running backwards, playing tag, doing frog jumps, balancing, laughing, and exploring. They probably don't realise it, but every one of those games is developing coordination, agility, balance, strength, and confidence to help them in many aspects of life, and in bonding making new friends. That's what All4Running is all about. Learning through play. Growing through sport. Building brighter futures. This club already becoming one of the most loved places in Iten, giving children opportunities they never dreamed possible.

And...Who knows... today's volleyball beginners could be tomorrow's champions! And if, after a hard morning of learning new skills, you happen to eat two lollipops and end up with a bright blue tongue... well, all the better! 💙
After all, childhood is meant to be filled with laughter, sticky fingers, and big smiles. Besides, more healthy snacks are waiting for you inside the clubhouse!

14/07/2026

The World Cup continues at Shoe4Africa! First the Child Life ladies played, then the kids, and tomorrow, we will have the Child Life men's competition --- and who will be the overall champion?
The second picture reveals two amazing champions playing on the table earlier this year: One who broke the Marathon World Record and the two-hour barrier, and One who broke the 1000m World Record playing on this same table....We, at Shoe4Africa Public Children's Hospital, are a Hospital of Champions!

13/07/2026

Many moons ago, in 1999, I was racing a half marathon alongside my good friend Simon Biwott, who would later become the World Championship silver medallist in the marathon. Simon was one of the very first Kenyan athletes I met after arriving in Kenya, and he and Sammy Korir were probably the first runners ever to receive shoes from what would eventually become Shoe4Africa; although back then, we didn't even have a name.

In 1999, after Simon returned to his home village of Kipsangui, the local Member of Parliament, the late Hon. William Morogo Arap Saina, visited the community and declared that one day the village deserved its own medical institution.

Life moved on, and Simon and I lost touch for several years.

Then, while I was working on a humanitarian project in Turkana, northern Kenya, I happened to be featured in Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper. Simon saw the article, realised I was back in Kenya, reached out, and our friendship was rekindled.

Fast forward to last Friday, and Simon was organising a medical camp in Kipsangui. Chelimo and I were honoured to attend, support the event, and make a donation to honour William Morogo. Because, it was an especially emotional day for Chelimo, as Hon. William Morogo Arap Saina was her late father. To see his dream of bringing healthcare to his community still inspiring people years later was deeply moving.

What impressed us most, however, was the spirit of Simon, and the organisers.

Generous donors from Austria had helped start to fund raise for buildings for the clinic, but the project had not yet been completed. Many people might have waited until everything was perfect before doing anything. Instead, Simon and his team simply said, "Let's help people with what we have."

And help they did. More than 500 patients received medical care that day, including cancer screenings, eye examinations (thank you, Dr. Lily Morogo!), blood pressure checks, diabetes screening, and many other essential health services.

No grand hospital. No state-of-the-art facilities. Just determined people refusing to let imperfect circumstances stop them from serving others. Simon has long retired from the running world after wining marathons in Paris, Rotterdam, Berlin, and more, but he never forgot his winning spirit that continues to help his community.❤️

11/07/2026

The best medicine isn't always found in some small plastic bottle...sometimes it's found in humankindness. ❤️

At the Shoe4Africa Children's Hospital, we love welcoming visitors, because every visit reminds our young patients that they are loved, valued, and never forgotten. Several of our kids don't have any visitor coming to see them.

This week, we were privileged to host Purity Koima, a Waziri from the EMC, who brought the amazing members of Wareng Power House to celebrate their eighth anniversary in business. Rather than simply celebrating themselves, they chose to celebrate by giving hope to our sick children.

They arrived with a large donation of essential supplies, like milk, toiletries, sanitary pads, clothing, and other much-needed items. Then came a moment that touched every heart in the hospital: each child received a beautiful red rose. The smiles on their faces said it all. For many of these children, battling serious illness far from home, it was a reminder that people they have never met genuinely care about them.

Even more exciting for us, Wareng Power House has pledged to make this an annual tradition, and we are deeply honored by their commitment to celebrate and help the sick public child.

Every day, the Shoe4Africa Children's Hospital, the only public dedicated children's hospital in East Africa, cares for more than 200 inpatients and over 200 outpatients. Children arrive from every corner of Kenya, and have come from neighboring countries like Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and beyond, because this is where the public child receives specialist pediatric care.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Purity for making this remarkable visit possible. Remembering us has inspired an entire community of generosity. And to the more than 30 members of Wareng Power House who spent their day bringing gifts, encouragement, laughter, and love into our wards, we say a big thank you. You didn't just deliver supplies; you lifted spirits, gave parents hope, and reminded every child that they are surrounded by a caring community.

Address

Nandi Road
Eldoret
30100

Website

http://www.shoe4africa.org/

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