More Habari Mpya—Newest News

On May 8th, SOTENI International's Executive Director Randie Marsh left Cincinnati to begin her trip to Nairobi, Kenya! During the past month, Randie has worked on a multitude of projects focusing on our four Villages of Hope and students involved in the sponsorship program, as well as making trips to our Dispensary in Mbakalo and witnessing the beautiful birth of a Kenyan baby.

The photo to the left is of Randie and one of SOTENI's sponsored students, Douglas, as they celebrate his progress and success in school with a well-made lunch. Through years of perserverance and hard work, Douglas recently received an Equity Scholarship to attend one of the most prestigious national high schools in Kenya, Mang'u High School. SOTENI would like to offer a huge thank you to those who choose to sponsor a child with our sponsorship program. It is with YOUR help and generosity that success stories such as Douglas' are made possible.

While the Executive Director travels throughout Kenya, she is also preparing for SOTENI's first annual Karibu Kenya trip. It is a 13-day trip at the end of July that will take people on a unique visit all over Kenya. The itinerary includes a safari in the Maasai Mara region, as well as a visit to a secondary school in our Village of Hope-Mbakalo to get a first-hand experience of the education system in Kenya by speaking with the principal and meeting with sponsored students, along with much more to show people the work that SOTENI does in Kenya. We hope you will join us in 2014!

We here at SOTENI would like to extend a sincere and enthusiastic THANK YOU to everyone involved with Team SOTENI - Kilometers for Kenya during the 15th annual Flying Pig Marathon weekend! Whether you were a participant, volunteer, or supporter, without ALL of you Team SOTENI could not have been such a success.

Special congratulations to our marathoners Katie Mideli, John Wulsin, and Paul Odipo, who placed 7th overall!

We hope that many of you will continue to be involved with SOTENI throughout the upcoming year and we hope you will once again be a part of Team SOTENI for the 2014 Flying Pig Marathon on May 3rd and 4th, 2014!

There are several ways that supporters just like YOU are getting involved with this year's Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. YOU can too, whether you live in the Cincinnati area, across the USA, or around the world.

SOTENI has been a Partner Charity with the Flying Pig Marathon for three years and we are making strides together. This weekend, May 4th & 5th, we have twenty-two walking or running for Team SOTENI - Kilometers for Kenya. Forty volunteers have come forward to work the weekend for SOTENI and the FPM. We truly appreciate each and every one of you and the sacrifices you have made for SOTENI.

We invite all participants, volunteers and supporters to stop by the SOTENI booth on the public landing, say hello and let us say asante sana (thank you very much).

Three of our Team SOTENI runners are doing the full marathon. They are Katie Mideli, Paul Odipo and John Wulsin. Paul arrived in the USA for the first time, just a little over two weeks ago, to be part of the Flying Pig and to raise the awareness of HIV/AIDS and its impact on the lives of people in his home country of Kenya. To hear Paul talk about why he is running in the marathon, click on this link and listen to the WKNU radio interview with Paul and SI Executive Director, Randie Marsh.

YOU can support Paul and ALL of the 22 participants by making a donation on our Team page. No amount is too small - every $26 ($1/mile in the full marathon) can make a difference in SOTENI's work. DONATE NOW. SOTENI believes it takes a village to prevent AIDS! Be part of our village through your contribution.

To make this weekend complete, we need YOU to come out and cheer on Sunday, May 5th for our runners, rain or shine. Of course, you may cheer where ever it is convenient for you, but we would like to have four basic cheer areas: 1) Gilbert Avenue & Eden Park Drive-6.5 mile 2) Erie Avenue & Paxton Avenue-11.5mile 3) Mariemont Square-16 mile 4) Eggelston & Pete Rose Way-as close to the finish line as possible. Come out and squeal with the rest of us! Make signs and bring a loud voice! Share with us where you will be cheering - 513-792-9932 or soteni@soteni.org. We would like all four areas covered. Check the FPM website for road closures and parking.

Sixty-two people have committed to being part of our village and making a difference in the fight against AIDS and its effects by being part of the weekend. Join us and YOU can make a difference. Sponsor Team SOTENI!