A former Brine Leas pupil from Nantwich has run a half marathon for charity – with a toilet seat around his neck!
And John Wallace was flushed with success on completing the race, which he did to raise money for better sanitation in Nepal.
The Cambridge University student, who ran the Richmond Half Marathon last Sunday (March 23), will be working in Nepal as a volunteer for The Mountain Trust in the summer.
John, who studied GCSEs at Brine Leas High School and A levels at South Cheshire College, is in his final year at Fitzwilliam College reading Geography.
He said: “Just imagine for a second that you didn’t have access to a toilet. Where would you go?
“Worse still, imagine the river you used for drinking water also doubled up as a toilet – making water borne disease rife in your community.
“Add on top of that a government which refuses to accept you as a citizen and so does not build the necessary infrastructure needed for basic sanitation facilities.
“This is a situation experienced by many poor people across the global south today.
“By running the Richmond Half Marathon with a toilet seat I hope to raise awareness of the importance of toilets for human health and well-being, something we so easily take for granted each day.
“I hope to raise lots of money for The Mountain Trust as I will be volunteering for them over the summer.”
John will be working for a small community of about 50 families in Hemja (Hyangja) six miles north west of Pokhara, Nepal.
“My work will involve analysing past initiatives, undertaking a comprehensive study of the community and assessing their current needs,” John added.
“Past initiatives include a sanitation project – installing toilets and a water tank in the community.
“This has involved collaboration with the local government who have previously neglected the community and failed to officially accept them as residents of the village development area.
“My work will feed into efforts aimed at building links with local government and achieving authorised status for the Hemja community.”
You can support John by donating at his page, http://www.justgiving.com/john-wallace3
Recent Comments