The second edition of the Absa Kampala Hash House Harriers (KH3) – 7 Hills Run has officially been launched.
The 2024 edition is scheduled for Sunday, March, 17, 2024 with 5KM and 21 KM distances to be covered, starting and finishing at Kololo independence grounds and covering the seven iconic hills of Kampala city; Mengo, Kololo, Kibuli, Namirembe, Old Kampala, Nakasero and Makerere.
Speaking during the official launch of this year’s edition, Absa Bank Uganda Managing Director, Mumba Kalifungwa said the run will yet again aim at giving back to society.
“Following a highly successful first edition in 2023, we are optimistic for an even better run this year whose proceeds will go towards social good of keeping the girl child in school. This is in addition to bringing us together to promote health and wellness through physical activity,” said Kalifungwa.
The first edition which attracted over 2,500 runners, both individuals and corporate entities, raised a total of shs200 million in proceeds which were dedicated towards tackling girl child related societal challenges namely reintegrating teenage mothers in school, skills training and improving menstrual hygiene management to manage school absenteeism and dropout rates among girls.
A total of 2,750 girls benefited from last year’s edition.
Despite high levels of enrolment, recent data shows that only 53% of Ugandan girls aged 6-12 complete the required seven years of primary education, and merely 22.5% of the female Ugandan population enroll in secondary education.
This can be attributed to a number of obstacles that girls in our community face, including poverty, cultural barriers, early marriages, unwanted pregnancy, and difficulty managing menstrual hygiene.
Speaking on Friday, the Absa bank Managing Director said the run will align with the ‘your story matters to us’ tagline for Absa bank.
“Absa recently announced a refreshed brand promise, your story matters, which is rooted in our belief that every individual and business deserves and has the potential to build a better tomorrow, and that banking should be centered around the needs of the people, business and communities. The Absa KH3-7 Hills Run is a testament to this promise. We believe that education is a right that every child should access, regardless of gender. Every child’s story matters.” Kalifungwa added.
Gerald Okware who represented the Hash Master Wilberforce Kyambadde underscored the importance of the Absa KH3-7 Hills Run.
“We use the run to traverse the seven iconic hills of Kampala and in a total we make 21 km. Much as our primary objective is to keep fit , we also look at the corporate social responsibility bit. We use the run to fight against non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, mental stress among others,” Okware said.
This year’s run will also include professional long distance athletes and the winner will walk away with a plot of land provided by Bakaima Real Estate Agents.