The 300,000 steps in May challenge
Let’s move one step closer to a world free from poverty this May.
In May, Christians across Britain and Ireland will come together for Christian Aid Week (10-16 May) and stand with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
For over 60 years, Christian Aid Week has mobilised thousands of churches and individuals, bringing people together as one community against global poverty.
You can be part of this life-changing week by taking on the 300,000 steps in May challenge.
The challenge
It’s simple: take 300,000 sponsored steps across the month of May to raise vital funds for communities battling the worst of this climate crisis.
This clocks in at just under 10,000 steps a day and is a great way to get fit and do good all at the same time.
Whether you decide to walk, jump, skip, hop or run your steps is completely up to you!
The next step is to join the 300,000 steps in May Facebook group. You’ll find lots of people who are also taking on the challenge, get access to tips, a support network and lots of motivation.
You can go it alone or take part in a team, supporting each other to reach your goal.
What’s more, the challenge is flexible so if you want to go further or adapt it to involve little ones, you can. Take you first step today.
In eastern Kenya, 8 out of 10 people depend on rain for agriculture.
Small steps, big changes
The climate crisis hurts us all, but people living in poverty battle the worst of it. Every day they walk further, dig deeper and build stronger to survive. Unrelenting. Determined.
By putting your best foot forward this Christian Aid Week you can help people like Rose.
Rose lives in Kenya with her grandchildren. She does all she can to give them happy childhoods, but it is a constant struggle. From severe drought to flooding, climate chaos robs them of what they need to survive: a reliable source of water.
There is an earth dam just minutes away from Rose’s home which collects rainwater. It should be a lifeline to help her family withstand unpredictable weather. But it runs out of water too quickly, forcing Rose to walk long and exhausting journeys to fetch water. She struggles with the strength for every step.
Unfortunately, Rose is not the only one. In eastern Kenya, 8 out of 10 people depend on rain for agriculture. The lack of water forces people to walk further and further to find a reliable source of water. Elderly women and children are especially vulnerable on these dangerous journeys and can face robbery or conflict as people battle over scarce resources.
The coronavirus pandemic has only made this lack of water more critical. As we all know, handwashing with soap and water is vital to stay safe against the virus.
With a reliable source of water, people like Rose would be free from long, painful journeys. They would be able to grow fresh vegetables to eat. And they would be able to protect themselves from the dangers of coronavirus.
Dams are simple and cost-effective natural storage solutions. They catch the rain when it falls, increase the amount of stored water available to communities, defend against intense rain and flooding, and free women and girls from making long and dangerous journeys to collect water.
Christian Aid has been working in Kenya since 1997, and through our local partners, supports people living in poverty to respond and adapt to the climate crisis. The money raised could help communities in Kenya to build an earth dam ensuring they have the water they need to live.
Every step you take this May could help people like Rose withstand climate chaos: from building better earth dams to harvest more water, to sowing drought-tolerant crops, to demanding climate justice at the highest level.
So, will you step up to the challenge?
Let’s move one step closer to a world free from poverty. Sign up to the 300,000 steps in May challenge today.