With the help of international athletes and local community leaders, Duke graduate is organizing Competitive Road Race in Kenya to raise HIV awareness.

From: Hubert Yeargan Center Intern in Eldoret, Kenya

Hi, hope all is well in Durham. I've been receiving excited emails from the Kenyan med students there at Duke, and I'm glad that they took my advice and found their way over to International Delights on 9th street!

Things here are great. The good news is that the AMPATH to HOPE road race that I"ve been organizing here in July is coming along very well. We've teamed up with the local athletics commision who is sanctioning our event. We have several local sponsors providing pa systems and a stage, race banners and announcement fliers, radio ads, water bottles, raffle prizes, refreshments for volunteers etc. My brother is also coming over in about a week with a duffle bag full of racing shoes and running equipment from the Duke Athletic Department equipment room to use as prizes. We have commitments from several olympians, world record holders, and international marathon champions (Moses Kiptanui, Martin Lel, Martin Keino Robert Cheriyot, Daniel Komen, etc) to come and speak at the event and encourage spectators to get tested. I'm very excited and glad that I've got another project keeping my very busy. We are still in need of funding for a few aspects of the race however, and I figure that it was time to see if Duke wanted to get involved. We are still in need of money for t-shirts (roughly $1,900) and cash prizes for race winners (roughly $550).

We actually had commitments for these items from a local bank and an insurance company in town but this past week it appears that they have fallen through. (Feeling just a bit desperate, but my Kenyan collegues keep saying that "one month in Kenyan is a long time.") I have attached an official request letter outlining the event and the requested funds. I know that funds there are pretty tight, but I figured it was worth a shot. Please forward this onto anyone who may be interested.

I'm also still working on this "AMPATH Narratives" project with a visiting psychiatry resident from OHSU- we're collecting life stories from dozens of clients in various departments to illustrate AIDs in Kenya, and show how AMPATH has touched their lives. I'll be sure to send some your way as soon as they are finalized.

I'm so pumped to be here. Learning so much from the docs and Kenyans, still overwhelmed everday with the poverty, and more inspired than ever. I look forward to hearing from you when you get a chance,

Your Current Ambassador in Kenya,
Chas Salmen