/24-7PressRelease/ - SHEFFIELD, UK, June 27, 2008 - When Sheffield based Aim 4 Africa decided to sponsor six Maasai Warriors running the recent Flora London Marathon, little did they realise the impact and success that the Warriors would have upon the whole event. In fact for many people their image and the cause became a defining moment for the 2008 race.
As a result of the initial donation made by Aim 4 Africa and subsequent donations, totalling several hundreds of pounds from its clients, Aim 4 Africa helped the Maasai exceed their target of between 20,000 and 60,000. The total figure raised, which is increasing all the time, currently stands at 114, 726! In fact, due in part to the publicity achieved by Aim 4 Africa, several donations from across the country (and other parts of Europe) were received, including a South Yorkshire businessman who is in discussion to make a donation of several thousands of pounds to the cause.
Commenting upon their contribution to the project, Nancy Cutinha at Aim 4 Africa said, "I was born in Tanzania and I now run a company here in the UK which offers holidays to Tanzania. We are very much involved in development projects in Tanzania and other East African countries, and if we can support and raise awareness of causes such as these then we will do so. It was great to see, not only my clients supporting the cause but as a result of local publicity, we saw people from across Yorkshire support the project."
The six Maasai Warriors decided to run the London Marathon to raise awareness and funds to bring fresh, clean drinking water into their village in Tanzania. In Tanzania, after years of little rain, the search for drinking water has become increasingly desperate - a commodity that most people in the UK take for granted. Because of this, the six Maasai Warriors from the Eluai village in Tanzania decided to take matters into their own hands, by running the London Marathon in 2008 and raising funds. As a result they managed to raise more than enough funds to ensure that their village has a constant supply of drinking water.
Obviously the drinking water will not happen overnight but working with the help of Greenforce, an international aid organisation that has worked closely with the Maasai since 2005, it will become a reality.
Commenting upon the success of the Maasai to raise funds for the project, Paul Martin from Greenforce says, "We are elated that the Maasai were so successful and exceeded the target that we hoped to raise. Now the hard work begins to turn the funds into clean drinking water for the village. We are working hard to deal with various experts and suppliers to arrange the necessary drilling and construction works to ensure this becomes a reality. We would like to thank Aim 4 Africa and everyone else who sponsored the Maasai, and all those people who lined the street on 13th April to cheer the runners on."
Donations can still be made for the project. To find out how you can donate contact Aim 4 Africa on 0845 408 4541 or visit http://www.maasaimarathon.org
For more information on holidays with Aim 4 Africa contact http://www.aim4africa.com or call 0845 408 4541 or +44 114 255 2533
About Aim 4 Africa Ltd
Aim 4 Africa Ltd is a specialist tour operator organizing bespoke holidays to East Africa - Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Malawi. All programs are designed with the unique, first hand experience of the founders all of whom are East African. The company's main ethos is responsible travel, ensuring that local communities benefit from tourism and that nature and wildlife conservation perseveres for the benefit of future generations. For further information contact us at enquiries@aim4africa.com
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