http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18271403

In the foothills of Kenya, it’s a common sight to see hundreds of children walking, jogging or running down a beaten dirt path with their backpacks on. With the lack of transportation and a hunger for quality education, it is common for children to trek distances up to 10km (6.2 miles) en route to school and back. While no child would claim to enjoy the sweltering afternoon heat on their walk, or the darkness that surrounds them as they trek to school at 5 a.m, some of these children have run these roads so frequently, that amidst this great obstacle, opportunity has arisen for them as competitive long-distance runners.

Kenyan resident Abel Kiriu grew up running the route to school numerous times a day, and with his fast pace and high endurance level, Kiriu caught the eye of Olympic recruiters. A two-time world marathon champion, Kiriu is aiming for the gold medal in this summer’s London 2012 Olympics for long-distance running.  He attributes much of his running success and endurance to his past as a pupil and is thankful his parents made him go to school even on days he didn’t want to because of the distance. Read more here, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18271403, about Kiriu’s story and what a typical journey to and from school looks like for a student in the foothills of Kenya. Learn more about our passion for education and what it means to join Mocha Club and support education projects in several African countries: https://www.themochaclub.org/our-projects/5