Run For Congo Women New York Chapter

In The Face of Evil

Rape victims in Democratic Republic of Congo

The other night, I was able to catch a very interesting piece on Netflix that was originally aired by National Geographic in 2008. This was called, “The Science of Evil”. What originally drew me to this program is my ongoing fascination with the why the mind works especially trying to understand why people do what they do. While watching, I saw that one of the places they went to see human evil in action was in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo. What is going on out there is nothing short of evil.

There were examples provided where the soldiers will rape the wife in front of their husband and if they have teenage daughters, they will also rape the children in front of their mothers and fathers. Could you imagine seeing such a thing? It would just be too traumatizing for anyone to handle. There was another example given where people are asked what they would do in this scenario: you are hiding in the forest with many other people from your village. You have an infant child, all of a sudden the child begins to cry. If the soldiers hear the child crying, then they will find you along with everyone else you’re with and will kill and rape each of you. Yet, the other option is to cover the baby’s mouth and as a result possibly smother the child. Which would you do in this scenario?

Can you imagine that this is the reality of many women in Eastern Congo? When you go out for a jog at night, walk home on your own after meeting up with friends, or even run errands on your own, do you have to constantly worry that someone will attack you? Yes, we live in a world that there are crazy people everywhere and anything is possible. Yet, if anything bad happens to us what would we do? Call the police and the police will arrive within 15 minutes. After that, you might go to the hospital and if you’re lucky enough to have insurance you’ll be seen within the hour; if you don’t have insurance you’ll still be seen but may have to wait a long time. After that, there are many support groups that you can join for victims of rape and also 1-on-1 counseling that you can sign up for to help you after the incident. Yet, in Congo, it is quite a different result.

This is the likely scenario – you get raped on the street while your family is watching you and they can’t do anything about it. After you get raped, you can’t call the policy or military because they are the ones who raped you. If you’re brave enough to try and say something they will either laugh in your face or just rape you again this time with more brutality or both. Then, when you go to cry to parents or husband, they will shun you for being such a “prostitute” and they will not want anything else to do with you. Then, since Congo is less developed, you can’t go to a doctor as quickly as you would like and if you do, you might wait in line for at least 4 hours just to be told to return tomorrow since they took all the people they can for that day. Then after 3 weeks of waiting, you finally go to the doctor especially since you have been feeling sick and you get 2 surprises when you arrive. First, you find out that you are pregnant. Then, since sub-Saharran Africa has the largest rate of HIV/AIDS, you find out that you now have AIDS given to you by the soldier. You already know about the hospital situation and that you won’t get the care you need to help you with these 2 new health concerns; so you just try to get by all by yourself until your child is born and/or your inevitable death.

This scenario may sound harsh, but it is the reality for too many women in Congo. Can you believe that this is the harsh reality for hundreds of thousands of women and CHILDREN in DR Congo. Many young girls did not get a chance to lose their virginity to the man they love, preferably on their wedding night. Rather, at 12 years old, they were raped in front of their parents and have too many mental issues moving forward to even love a man properly.

There is SO much that needs to be done to help these women of Congo so that they will not feel shame for being raped. So that they will be able to get medical treatment (physical, mental and emotional) for what they’ve been through and most importantly, they will be able to see justice for what has happened to them and be able to walk freely on their own in the country again. Yet, all this can not be done with prayers alone, what is needed is help from YOU. Please sign up to help with Run for Congo Women in your city or even arrange one in your city if it is not already available. There is still so much that needs to be done and it can’t be done without the help of people like you. If you can’t participate in a run or volunteer for a run, I just ask that you get more knowledge about what is going on in Democratic Republic of Congo or at the very least share this article via Facebook, Twitter, email, or Google+. Knowledge is truly power and if more people have knowledge about what is going on in DRC, more of us will be able to empower the women of Congo.

For more information on Run for Congo Women please visit – http://www.runforcongowomen.org/
For more information about the National Geographic episode referenced in this article please visit – http://natgeotv.com.au/tv/science-of-evil/

Posted in Uncategorized , Congo, Congo Children;rape;gadgets;iphone, Congo run New York, criminal, desecration, evil, husband, rape, rapist, terror, Values, women | No Comments »

Apr 03

What We Can Learn from Kony 2012

By Tania Kosongo

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then I know you have heard about the mini documentary by Invisible Children called “Kony 2012”. If you haven’t gotten a chance to view the video, the gist of what he is saying is that Joseph Kony should become famous so that he may get caught quicker. Kony is currently listed as #1 on the International Criminal Court’s list of criminals they are trying to capture. He was responsible for capturing at least 30,000 children and making the boys child soldiers and the young girls he used for sex trafficking in Uganda. Kony has since left Uganda and spent several years in East Congo where he did the same grotesque activities and now he is said to be in Central African Republic or South Sudan.

It’s sad to hear that even Kony spent time in DRC after so many girls and women have already been victimized, now he came to my country and did the same thing, again. I agree that Kony should be captured and tried, but there are thousands of other Konys out there that need to be caught too. Too many women and children have been victimized by these monsters who think it’s okay to just rape anyone, anytime, anywhere, and as much as they want. It’s just not right!
That is why we call on you to not only read about what is going on in Congo, but also to TAKE ACTION! There are multiple things that you can do to help, you can:

· Participate in the run as a runner

· Volunteer on the day of the run

· Guest blog (like I’m doing )

· Guest Tweet

· Help with solicitation efforts to find some sponsors

· …and many more!

Just leave a comment here if you’d like to help and we’ll contact you to join the team! In the meantime, please view this video about the mission of Run for Congo Women – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeMkMlXk3NM&feature=player_embedded

Posted in Uncategorized , Congo, Congo Children; President Obama, Congo run New York, desecration, rape, terror, women | No Comments »

Mar 02

March is Women’s History Month

By Angela Gibson

Written by Tania Kasongo

Headshot2 230x300 March is Womens History Month

Contributor for post, Run for Congo NYC 2012 volunteer

How fitting that the theme for this year’s Women’s History Month is – Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment?
There is so much to be educated about concerning women and our major role in society; and as everyone knows, with education comes empowerment. Sometimes I think one large reason why there may not be more aid provided to the Congo may be because people are not as educated about what is really going on and what is happening to the women there. Here are some staggering stats for you, according to a May 2011 article in The American Journal of Public Health in a study of women between 15 and 49:

Over 400,000 women are raped every year in Congo, which means about 1152 raped every day, equaling 48 raped every hour and therefore 4 women raped every five minutes.

Just think about the magnitude of those statistics. This is why it’s hard to be at peace, when this is going on in the Congo. Could you imagine, in FIVE minutes, 4 women have already been raped? By the time you finish reading this blog post, 4 women have already been raped. That means before you finish showering, getting ready and eating breakfast, it’s possible that 48 women have already been raped throughout Congo? It’s unreal and these women deserve SO much more! The statistics we should be sharing is about all the women who have completed their education, followed their dreams and are living rich and empowering lives doing something they love, rather than living in fear.

If you’re reading this and you’re as appalled as I am, there is so much you can do to get involved and share this knowledge to increase those fighting for the Congolese women and therefore, help them to achieve greatness. You can just spread the word about Congo through your social networks, with friends, with co-workers, or even with a stranger! You can also sign up for the upcoming Run for Congo Women which will be in NYC on October 6th; but if you’re not in NYC, there are plenty of runs throughout the globe – here is where you can find more information: http://www.runforcongowomen.org/.

The women of Congo need our help and our voices, now I have to ask, since you’ve been educated on this atrocity, what will you do to empower yourself and help these brave women of Congo?

Posted in Congo Warriors , Congo, Congo run New York, March, rape, women, women's history | No Comments »

Aug 11

Nightmare In Heaven

By Angela Gibson

I am not entirely sure of all the reasons why I am obsessed with the suffering of Congo Women. After all, suffering is all around us and wears so many different faces and colors. Yet, even with that knowledge, I am irresistible drawn to defend their cause. Even after five years of sounding the alarm, appealing to everyone I meet to stand up for Congo women, sorrow overcomes me.

I don’t know why, that for a country that I have never been to and for women I will probably never meet, their suffering continues to haunt me. Maybe it is because I see my reflection in their tears and my two-year old son loaded on their backs, as they stumble with the scars of rape in their minds and the burden of fear, terror and anxiety on their hearts.

Perhaps, it is because it could have been my mother, my sister or my friend.

Or maybe it is because, my humanity is holding me accountable.

I doubt it is a single reason, but rather a conglomeration of thoughts feelings and ideas. I may never really know for sure but only that action is this hour’s call.

Sept 24, 2011 is yet another chance for you to tell the world that the Holocaust in the Congo is unacceptable.

Tell the world that this ‘Hitler‘ too, must be hunted down until he falls on his own sword; that the silent consensus that says a woman being raped every five minutes in the Congo is tolerable ends with you.

On September 24th, you get to tell the world, “no! not on my watch.

It is your chance again New York!

Will you stand with me?

Posted in Congo Warriors , Congo Run New York 2011, Hitler, holocaust, rape | No Comments »

Mar 29

I love Obama but…

By Angela Gibson

” When our interests and values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act,” says President Obama in his address to the nation on March 28, 2011.

This month Ben Affleck stood up for Congo Women before Congress. It was their moment in time, an unlikely moment. The stars are still winking at Ben.

He told Congress something they already knew. He told them that 5 million people have died in the Congo since 1998.

I often hear many voices, most likely you have too, but rarely does it mean we recognize them. Maybe it has been the same for our elected officials.

Maybe.

Or maybe, the fact that the United States has helped out with applying band aids to Congo’s dead and dying in the past has soothe its conscience. I am not really sure which is which.

But I am sure that on March 3rd, two days before Affleck addressed Congress, a United Nations report highlighted the horrors endured by Congo’s rape victims as it usually does. In it, a UN panel’s visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo between September 27 and October 2010, detailed the stories from 61 survivors of sexual violence, ranging from a girl who had been raped when she was just three years old to a 61 year old grandmother.

Could She Have Been Your Daughter?

“When our interests and our values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act.” Really?

So is it that our interests and values are not at stake in the Congo? Perhaps it is just our values? And, perhaps that is not so bad? But in Libya, it is our interests and our values?

I think I get it now.

Posted in Congo Warriors , Ben Affleck, Congo Children; President Obama, Libya, Values | No Comments »

Feb 01

‘Ruined’

By Angela Gibson

“Sheer surprise is it’s own form of terror. One moment, everyone is singing and dancing in the bar, which also serves as a house of prostitution, and the next moment, there is anger, outrage, a violent act.”

Consider Salima, a young mother who was raped by soldiers. She describes her day before ‘they’ came. ‘Her husband was in town buying her a cooking pot as her infant daughter watched happily as she picked sweet potatoes in her garden, under an open sky. Then a shadow fell across the ground.’

“How did I not see? she asked her friend Sophie, a fellow sanctuary seeker at Mana Nadi’s. But of course you can’t see the onset of arbitrary horror, brought on by those who do not see you as a person. You can’t predict when terror, whether it’s from men wielding machetes or from pilots steering planes into buildings will desend upon you.”‘

This scene, from Lynn Nottage’s poignant portrayal in her drama “Ruined,’ captures the powerlessness and insecurity that Congolese women breathe.

Yet sometimes there exists a detachment from these occurrences even when talented artists like Nottage commits herself to her craft so that her audience can get a clue. It is inconceivable for most that terror so shocking occurs. And when ‘daily’ is assigned to terror, our brain shuts down. It is offensive. Most will not tolerate the details.

Yet over the New Year period, while I was drunk with anticipation and excitement, and readied my self to honor the season with the festivities in New York City’s Time Square, and echoed 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3,2,1, army soldiers raped at least 67 women, of which two were pregnant, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More than doubled the number originally thought, according to a United Nations Report.

Meanwhile, the Securities And Exchange Commission deliberates:

“On December 15, 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission published a release proposing new rules implementing disclosure requirements for reporting issuers that use conflict minerals originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or its adjoining countries. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires the Commission to issue final rules regarding conflict minerals no later than April 15, 2011.”

Since 1998, nearly five million people have been killed, hundreds of thousands of women raped, mutilated and desecrated and the SEC is deliberating. I suppose that is progress?

Are you sill wondering what does our appetite for iPhones and other gadgets have to do with an abandoned baby?

Let’s keep the conversation going…

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Posted in Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC) , children, desecration, displacement, husband, Lynn Nottage, New Year, SEC, terror | No Comments »

Jan 16

iPhone Baby

By Angela Gibson

Are you like me? Caught up in this month’s flurry of media chatter surrounding Apple’s iconic iPhone? On this side of the globe the rave is about AT&T losing its exclusivity as the only carrier of the iPhone, a journey which they boast have served them well according to an account in last week’s edition of the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile Verizon, already riding high on it’s prestigious platform, expects to rake in an estimated 10 million new users in the United States alone. Quite an upgrade to it’s already established 93 million subscribers according to Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein. The atmosphere is brimming with opportunity and great expectation.

Personally, I dream about replacing my Blackberry Curve with the iPhone. If for no other reason, than just to join the festive throng. I haven’t decided yet though. My husband will need to vett that decision and I think I already know the answer.

I do feel a tinge of sympathy for the smaller players. While the analysts fear that AT&T could lose 1 to 3 million subscribers, consider Sprint and T-Mobile. Are they slated to lose what they do not even have? Sounds like negative territory to me. Roger Enter of Recon Analytics makes a stinging observation,” When Verizon comes out with the iPhone, there’s only one carrier in the U.S. that will gain customers, and that’s Verizon.”

Yet, I am 100 times more impassioned about something else. It’s the thing that keeps me up at night, that sends streams of tears down my cheeks in public as I read Lisa Shannon’s poignant account of her travels to the Congo in her book, A Thousand Sisters. There I was, in the waiting room at the Immigration Office in Brooklyn, delighted that I was about to officially become a citizen of the United States but could not resist the urge to turn the pages to learn of yet another baby dying of neglect and malnutrition. Another mother who had been raped. And not just raped, but whose reproductive system had been forever maimed.

And what does one have to do with the other? What does a crying, abandoned baby have to do with the iPhone craze? Well for one thing, the baby in Congo cannot call anyone. Well, I agree, that’s obvious. But what isn’t so obvious is how our appetite for iPhones and other gadgets like it desecrates the lives of five million souls and counting. In the words of one journalist, we have ‘bloodstains at our fingertips.’

Let us continue the conversation…

Posted in Uncategorized , Congo Children;rape;gadgets;iphone | 2 Comments »

Dec 30

2010: The Year In Review

By Angela Gibson

2010 was a year that saw a lot of high points for the international movement to help the Congolese people find peace and regain their lives after years of war and violence. The American public and the US government finally seems ready to face the grim facts that the instability in the DRC is causing unbearable mortality rates, massive displacement and widespread sexual violence. And once they were informed about the tragedy, they were not able to remain silent. This year saw a huge rise in the grassroots effort to force the United States government to act in order to stop this tragedy from taking any more lives. And, while there were a number of horrible moments in the situation in the DRC in 2010, we wanted to provide a few moments that gave us hope in 2010 that 2011 will be a better year for the Congolese people.

Here are a few moments that gave us hope in 2010:

Dodd -Frank Wall Street Reform Act

Obama Financial Overh Thir s640x474 2010: The Year In Review

This new law requires American companies to submit to the Securities and Exchange Commission an annual report about whether or not their products contain tin, tungsten, gold of tantalum (conflict minerals) from the Congo. If their products do include these minerals they have to prove that they have taken measures to trace the origin of the minerals. Unfortunately the bill does not carry any penalties for those companies that refuse to submit, but the disclosures will be posted on the SEC’s website where it will become public knowledge for all consumers. And once President Obama signed the bill into law it became the responsibility of the consumers to make the most ethical purchasing decision that they can make. Once we have the facts and we are made aware of where these materials originated, we have to decide if we want our electronic purchases to fund gang rape in the Congo. And we know that the American people, once they are informed, will make the choice not to support the violent militias in the DRC.

Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Ugandan Recovery Act

LRA+Resistant+Army+Act+Signed 2010: The Year In Review

President Obama also signed into law the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Ugandan Recovery Act. This calls on the government “to support multilateral efforts to successfully protect civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army and to authorize funds for humanitarian relief and reconstruction, reconciliation, and transitional justice, and for other purposes.” In a White House statement released about the event, the President gave credit to the grassroots effort in America that has risen up and mobilized in order to draw attention to the horrible violence in the DRC and to demand that the US government respond. The President even addressed the power of these grassroots organizations in his statement after signing the act: “Your action represents the very best of American leadership around the world, and we are committed to working with you in pursuit of the future of peace and dignity for the people of the Congo who have suffered at the hands of the LRA deserve.” The fact that President Obama took time to recognize and praise the work of the many grassroots organizations that we consider our partners in the fight to help the people of the Congo inspires us and makes us all the more certain that our outreach is working and that once people hear about this horrible situation, they will be unable to turn away.

Run for Congo Women New York 2010 was the Biggest Event Ever!

finishers5%255B1%255D 2010: The Year In Review

This year in New York we held the most successful run in the history of the Run for Congo Women organization! We had over 400 runners and we raised over $48,000 for the Congo program of Women for Women International. Looking out over at the huge number of passionate runners and activists gave us such hope for the women and children of the Congo. The huge increase in the number of runners and volunteers made us realize that our message is getting out there and it is inspiring people to get involved.

We know that 2011 will see even more people joining our movement to help the Congolese people. We expect the Run for Congo Women community, as well as all of our partner organizations like Enough Project, V-Day, Raise Hope for Congo, Eastern Congo Initiative and many others, will continue to gather more and more passionate and energized activists who will make so much noise that the world can no longer turn away from the suffering in the Congo.

Our New Year’s Resolution is to make sure that 2011 is that year that the world will prove that the lives of the Congolese people matter.

Gear Up With Me For Congo Run 2011!

http://myshakeology.com/angelagibson73

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Nov 16

One Woman, Many Lives

By Angela Gibson

Amy Ng Thow Hing (left) and Marie M’Bukiraine Ntakwinja

On Tuesday, November 9th, Women for Women International, the organization that receives all of the funds that are raised by Run for Congo Women, held its annual gala. This is one of the year’s biggest events for the Women for Women Int’l organization and this year the event was a great success. The entire cost of the gala is covered by the board members of Women for Women International – so every dollar contributed/donated that evening went directly to support women in the programs. Erica Hill, the co-anchor of the CBS “Early Show” was the MC of the evening and attendees to the gala were treated to a performance by The Martha Graham Dance Company and it was announced that Mary J. Blige, the international singer-songwriter, would be given the 2010 Champion of Peace award Another award, the 2010 Active Citizen Honoree award, was given to architect Sharon Davis. And we here at Run for Congo Women New York had our own direct connection to an award winner that night.

Every year at the Gala they honor one of the sponsored sisters from the Women for Women International program to receive the Woman of the World Award. The woman is flown to New York to receive the award. Marie was selected because of her successful participation in The Goldman Sachs 10,000 women program. The 10,000 Women program provides underserved women around the world with a business and management education. And we were all very excited to learn that the sponsored sister who was selected to receive the Woman of the World Award was none other than Marie M’Bukiraine Ntakwinja, the sponsored sister of the one of the directors of the New York Chapter of Run for Congo Women New York race, Amy Ng Thow Hing.

Marie was introduced to the crowd by Women for Women International founder, Zainab Salbi and John Rogers of Goldman Sachs. They told the amazing story of Marie, a mother of 8 who lives in the Congo, where roving militias threatened the safety of her family and forced them to flee from their home. After being forced from their home, Marie and her family struggled. Marie had been a teacher and she cared for her family by selling soya flour and peas, yet it was difficult for her to feed and clothe her children. Marie was fortunate to learn about Women for Women International, where she received direct aid, emotional support, and training in rights awareness and small business development. Upon graduation from the Women for Women program, Marie built a successful soap-making business and was selected to enroll in Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women program, where she received additional training in business, finance, and management.

The program taught her so much taht Marie relocated her business to the local marketplace, where she has a thriving business selling flour and soap, earning a profit of $200 per month—an incredible sum in a country where the per capita income is $184 a year.

As is often the case when women is given a chance to learn skills and expand or begin a business, Marie’s success has spread to her village. She has taught two villagers and several of her children how to make soap, and she hires porters to transport sacks of beans and other supplies. She is a great example of with the proper training women can become self-sufficient providers for their families and active citizens in their communities.

Marie was given the award and informed that Women for Women International will be providing her the funds to help continue to grow her business. But the surprises for Marie did not end with the announcement of future funding. Amy Ng Thow Hing, Marie’s sister/sponsor who helped her start her journey by sending $27 a month and writings letters filled with encouragement, was at the gala and was brought onstage where the two women met for the first time.

Amy and Marie are like many of the other women who participate in Women for Women International and correspond with each other through letters. And that bond is what was celebrated at the Women for Women International, the power of two people connecting. The letters serve as a lifeline where sponsors can share, inspire, and offer the encouragement and emotional support needed for women survivors of war rebuild their lives.

The 2010 Gala was a night of inspiration and a much-needed reminder to all of us at Run for Congo Women that the idea of one woman reaching out to help another woman is an effective and powerful way to improve the quality of life for women who are survivors of war. And for Amy and Marie it was a night that allowed them to thank each other for the wonderful ways that each has improved the life of the other.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Oct 05

New York Cares For Congo!

By Angela Gibson

Lisa Shannon, Founder of Run For Congo Women!

Thank you to all of your who were able to join us on Saturday, September 25th for our inspiring Run for Congo Women New York Run. 494 runners and 40+ volunteers who harnessed their passion and dedication to helped to make it the largest run in the history of Run for Congo Women!

The weather on Saturday made it a tough day for a run. It was beautifully sunny on Roosevelt Island but it was unseasonably muggy for late September, but the humidity did not deter any of our Run for Congo Women supporters for showing up and raising $48,000 to date! And, because of the generous offer from a current anonymous donor who is matching all Women to Women International donations for the next 90 days, that fundraising amount will be doubled.

The day started early and as our amazing volunteers signed in runners, handed out the very popular Run for Congo Women t-shirts and helped direct the runners through the registration process, the soccer field at Firefighter’s Field began to fill with runners. We had a DJ on hand again this year again, filling the air with great music and making sure that the energy didn’t lag as the runners stretched out and ate one last power bar. It was such a joy for us organizers to look across the sea of runners, supporters and volunteers and see double the number of people that we had for last year’s run.

In the crowd were women, men and children of all races and from all religious groups and ethnic background. Every age group was present and represented from senior citizens to toddlers in strollers. There were spirited groups of runners, who had trained and done their fundraising together, wearing homemade shirts and doing inspiring group cheers.

Just before the run began, the organizers called everybody to gather around for a final rally to remind everybody why they had woken up early on a Saturday morning and spent weeks preparing for the run. Every person who was there was moved by the reminder from Bibianne, a woman who was born in the DRC. She spoke about the shocking situation for women and children in the there. NYC Run organizers Monica and Amy spoke about past RFCW New York events and their own excitement about the huge turnout at the 2010 event. Then, the crowd was lucky enough to have Lisa Shannon, Run for Congo Women founder, discuss her first run three years earlier. She explained to the runners and volunteers her joy at seeing the New York run grow. She talked about the first run that she hosted in Manhattan that, due to a huge storm, the it turned out to be Lisa, her mother, some dedicated Women for Women staff and a lone runner. The energy and passion in this year’s runners proved to her that her initial belief was correct that if she spread the word about the situation in the DRC, and offered a way for people to become involved in helping the survivors of the conflict, a movement would be born. She was not alone in her belief that the Congolese women matter and we can only imagine her joy at seeing over 500 people, half a world away, who had gathered together to prove to the Congolese women that their lives matter.

The runners took off and began the race around the island. The first runners crossed the finish line and a long stream of very tired and hot RFCW supporters followed as a crowd gathered at the finishing line to cheer them on. The energy and purpose of the run was palpable and the commitment of the runners was moving for everybody who was present. Lisa Shannon joined in the run and her own joy at finishing the race was obvious and inspiring. I even took a break from my role as Director of Outreach for the day and joined in the run. It was a great feeling to be part of that group of committed activists who showed up on a Saturday morning to prove, one person, one runner,can make a difference.

The joyful atmosphere continued as people enjoyed the food and beverages that had been generously donated, examined the

silent auction and collapsed on the grass for a well-deserved break.

We would like to thank everybody for their passion and commitment to the Congolese women that helped make Saturday the biggest Run for Congo Women event so far. Take a week off and start training for next year!!

Cheering Section!

ANGELAFINISHES%2521%2521%2521%2521YIPPEEE%5B1%5D New York Cares For Congo!

Angela Abrahams-Gibson

Runners!

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

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