My name is Maria Kidney I am from Cobh, Co. Cork. I am delighted to be representing Cork – North County in this year’s Vhi Virtual Mini Marathon.

I took part in the Women’s Mini Marathon several times when I was younger – running, walking and one year I was part of a team that carried a canoe! Don’t ask! I haven’t participated since I left Dublin in 2000. So it’s been a long time! Time to get moving again!

This year I am taking part to raise awareness and funds for Brighter Communities Worldwide, a Cork based NGO working in Kericho County, Kenya. I am one of the founding members of the charity and a volunteer board member. I have volunteered with Brighter Communities Worldwide in Kenya since the pandemic began in 2020.

It is hard to describe how life has been since the onset of COVID-19.

Communities have been devastated by poverty, hardship and are struggling to survive. We all know that soap and water are the basics to preventing the spread of the disease, but here there is no running water, and soap is considered a luxury. Social distance is impossible when you live in a one-roomed house……..and this is the reality here.

Lockdowns are harsh – there is no “working from home” option for those we work with as their sector income comes from work in the informal sector e.g. vegetable and clothes selling which is closed off during lockdown. If they don’t work, they don’t eat. Here it is not “Pay as you earn” but “Eat as you earn”. Buying soap is a challenge for these families. Brighter Communities Worldwide currently has 44 Kenyan staff and over 2,000 volunteers in Kenya. Since COVID-19 began they have sensitised over half a million people and distributed soap and handwashing facilities to the vulnerable – and this is ongoing……..

Health facilities are over stretched beyond their limits, and essential health services are impacted hugely as all efforts are going into the pandemic. Health Care Workers are under pressure due to the shortage in PPE, and basic equipment to manage the challenges of COVID-19. Brighter Communities Worldwide has supported the training of health care workers, provision of PPE, building isolation centres and is now focusing on building temporary vaccination centres to support the vaccine rollout.

With less than 2% of the population vaccinated Kenya has a long way to go, and is facing huge challenges. People in Kenya are not facing decisions about which vaccine to take or when to make appointments because there are no vaccines available at the moment.

We know globally they are available but because of huge inequality in how they are distributed, they are not reaching Africa in the quantities that are needed.

I strongly believe that these vaccines are a public good and should be freely available to all. It shouldn’t depend on where you live or how much money you have; it shouldn’t depend on whether you can access health care. We are not safe until we are all safe……..and without vaccines there is no end to this pandemic.

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on women and girls globally. I’ve seen first-hand the impact on women and girls in Kenya. Gender based violence and school closures have caused a surge of teenage pregnancies. I’ve met 9,10,11 year olds who are pregnant; I’ve witnessed young mothers sitting their school exams in maternity wards as they’ve just given birth and I’ve seen thousands of girls drop out of school due to poverty, early marriage, and pregnancy. A report published in July in Kenya outlines how nationally at least 480,000 boys and girls never returned to school in January after the schools closed for 9 months in

2020. What is their future now? Where will life take them? It’s a huge tragedy on so many levels.

Since COVID-19 began I’ve seen real hope as well. I’ve seen how one person can make a difference in their own life and in the lives of others – the “Power of Me” has shone through in Kenya since the pandemic began.

• I’ve seen how when people work together they can make a real difference…. Over 2,000 women and men have trained as volunteers to go from house to house providing information about COVID-19 and handwashing to prevent transmission;

• I’ve seen teachers give of their time freely to teach children in small groups when schools were closed – to keep them safe;

• I’ve seen women and men sensitise communities on menstrual health and support girls and women to access reusable sanitary kits;

• I’ve seen Health Care Workers who will work around the clock, putting their health in danger to keep health facilities open and communities safe

• I’ve seen people come together in groups and start income generation projects to raise money for their families in need.

• It is hope amidst adversity for sure… and it encapsulates the essence of “The Power of Me”

And the greatest hope of all came in March this year when 1.2 million doses of AZ vaccine arrived in Kenya. It was a huge achievement – and we felt such solidarity here with the world. Health Care Workers from Mayo University Hospital, NUI Galway and Mercy University Hospital in Cork connected remotely with Health Care Workers in Kericho and shared their vaccine experience, their concerns and their challenges. They supported each other throughout the pandemic – true solidarity in action.

And now when the globe has a chance to exit this pandemic together we end up with two parallel universes almost – one that believes the pandemic is over (as they are vaccinated) and the other which struggles to survive.

This pandemic has highlighted the huge inequalities that exist across the globe – across health systems, across education systems, across each and every aspect of society. This is our opportunity to get it right, to “build back better”; to show solidarity and to give a chance to each and every human being to live their lives in a safe way, to be able to access healthcare when they need it, no matter their geographical location, their level of income, education, gender or ethnicity.

We have never had such a test of humanity in my lifetime anyway; a chance to show who we really are; and to reach out in solidarity across the globe so we can all access the same rights and opportunities, and live in dignity.

This is why I am training to run my first 10km run in 25 years. I’ve been walking almost everyday since the pandemic began in the hills and mountains of rural Kenya. It’s been a survival mechanism in lots of ways as mentally it has been overwhelming at times. Now I’ve to turn this walking into running!! I will do my best.

I want to show solidarity with people across the globe who desperately need the COVID-19 vaccine; who want to live in dignity; who want a better life for themselves and their families.

The mini marathon has always epitomised women working together and making a difference to so many great causes; so many communities. This year I am asking women (and men) to join me as I run for #vaccineequity across the globe - show your support for equality;for justice and for humanity. #NowMoreThanEver. Click here or below to donate.