She Runs to Fuel Her Academic Dreams

Since our founding in 2006, GGRF’s impact goals have been to empower girls to stay in school and avoid early marriage. On a recent visit to our sites in Soddo and Bekoji, we saw first hand how our programs use running and education to support our Athletic Scholars' goals.

We were so inspired by Marta, a student from Bekoji who lost her mother and needed to support herself by weaving baskets. GGRF’s scholarship program enables Marta and her peers to stay in school and excel. She sees herself as a runner and a student, with a goal to continue her education studying Journalism at University.

During our visit, we ran with Marta and her teammates in the early morning, visited them at school later in the day, and were treated to a celebratory party in the evening organized by the girls. Marta acted as a Journalist and interviewed us as part of the evening’s program. She displayed leadership among her peers and great skill engaging with us. 

We are proud to support girls like Marta and applaud their accomplishments on and off the track!