16 April, 2018
Free to Run Hong Kong Charity
Free to Run Hong Kong Charity
What's On HK

Sassy Supports: RUN, Rebuild, Unite and Nurture

16 April, 2018
Free to Run Hong Kong Charity

Empowerment through sport

Every single woman and child should have the right to their health and the freedom to exercise, and it astounds us that even in this day and age, this isn’t always the case! Which is why we are here to support the incredible work that local NGO, RUN is doing to give dignity to, empower and rehabilitate refugees in Hong Kong. Read on to learn more about their work and to see how you can get involved in the initiative that is changing the lives of so many.

Read more: Get Involved in Giving Back: Where to Volunteer in Hong Kong

Free to Run Hong Kong Charity

What is RUN?

Their mission is simple: RUN uses running, physical fitness and outdoor adventure to “empower and educate women and girls who have been affected by conflict.” Health and exercise is a freedom that we should all be entitled to, but unfortunately in many areas of the world, women have very few opportunities to participate in sport and often are restricted “as a result of widespread discrimination and traditional beliefs about female roles.”

What do they do?

Determined more than ever to rehabilitate vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers, RUN gives women and girls the opportunity to convene around a common interest, build their social networks, and develop their independence and public participation outside of the home, as well as:

  • REBUILD the physical and mental health of participants by creating a supportive and safe environment in which women and girls can recover from past traumas in a gender equal way 
  • UNITE refugees with the local community and promote equality and understanding, helping to combat discrimination
  • NURTURE refugees into a more hopeful future, whether in Hong Kong or in their resettlement country, through access to education and training

Free to Run Hong Kong Charity

How can you help?

RUN relies heavily on volunteers in the Hong Kong community, but there are a couple of simple ways in which you can help support the initiative, too. Get a head start on your spring cleaning and donate lightly used sports gear to collection points at Gone Running, Racing the Planet or directly to RUN’s office in Aberdeen. RUN is also looking for gently used baby and children clothes as well as laptops (in good working condition) for its study programme.

If you’re keen to don your sneakers and get active, RUN is holding an adventure race on Saturday, 16 June as part of World Refugee Day. Organised by refugees with 10 teams of six participants, sign up and learn more about refugees in Hong Kong through eight, different challenges. Keep and eye on their Facebook page for more info!

Read more: Cull the Clutter: Donation Resources in Hong Kong

RUN, Sun Hing Industrial Building, 5th floor, 46 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, www.runhk.org

Images courtesy of and provided by R.U. N

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