Muskathlon Tanzania
May 2023
In May 2023, we traveled with a group of 60 athletes and 10 staff members to Tanzania in Africa. All of our athletes raised at least €10,000 euros to make a significant contribution to the lives of people living in extreme poverty.
For this trip, we partnered with Compassion Netherlands and Compassion Tanzania. Compassion is an international child care organization, releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ Name. Any family living with less than $2.15 a day to spend is classified as extremely poor. Compassion reaches out to local churches to make a difference.
Compassion supports one child per family. Their experience is that when one child gets sponsored, the whole family benefits from the education of this single child. This way, Compassion can have a huge impact on lots of families at the same time. For every child, Compassion finds a sponsor. For about $40 USD a month, you change the life of an entire family and you get the chance to write letters to your sponsored child too.
Read more in the next series of photos…
During our trip in Tanzania, we visited Compassion projects in Mwanza and Bariadi. A Compassion project is a local church, school, and community center all in one. We learned about the impact of Compassion on their lives and the opportunities they receive. Children shared their dreams, and they proudly showcased their skills in music, dancing, handicrafts, and much more.
After an intense week, we organised a marathon event on our second-to-last day. Every participant raised at least €10,000 euros, and in exchange for this sum of money, they undertook an extreme sports challenge. This could involve running 21, 42, or 64km, mountain biking 120km, or hiking 60km in Tanzania. Please note, these are not professional athletes; rather, they are ordinary people taking a significant step outside their comfort zone, touched by the work of Compassion. We also invited local people to participate, and we enjoyed an incredibly joyful day with Tanzanian and Dutch individuals coming together.
One of the primary objectives of the funds we raised is to improve the housing situation. Many people live in mud houses, which collapse after heavy rainfall, forcing them to rebuild repeatedly.
Describing a trip like this in words is challenging, as it’s difficult to describe the impact it has on a person’s life. This is the case for both the visitors and the hosts in Tanzania. It’s life-changing for Tanzanian children to recognise their own worth, to feel loved, and to understand their wonderful uniqueness. Similarly, for us Europeans, witnessing the genuine joy of the children, despite their suffering and difficult living conditions, is a transformative experience.
For more information about the organisations, please visit the websites of Compassion and Muskathlon.
