Story courtesy of Peace Corps:
For seven days, former WKU Soccer player Maggie Wilder (2007-10) traveled 150 miles through Ethiopia to talk to locals about HIV/AIDS. To get from community to community, she ran.
Wilder was one of 20 Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia to participate in the 242-kilometer journey through the country's Tigray region, beginning Sept. 12. The main of goal of the seven-day journey, called the Tigray Trek, was to educate community members about the causes, prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and raise money for awareness projects. Volunteers partnered with local organizations to lead nine educational sessions and empower youth to take action in their communities.
"This project was important not only to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS through Ethiopia, but also to work with people living with HIV/AIDS and allow them to gain the knowledge that they need as well as providing them with skills, such as sustainable and effective garden techniques that will increase their nutrition, resiliency and quality of life," said Wilder, a WKU graduate and Berea, Ky. native.
The trek began in Atsbi, a town on the northeastern border of the Tigray Region, and concluded in Korem, a town near the southernmost point of the border. As a core runner, Wilder ran 20 to 30 miles a day and then participated in the sessions. An illness forced Wilder to sit out a half-day, missing about 10 miles of the run, but the physical strain from running could not match the rewards.
"Even though running was very challenging, the group dynamic and our support team was amazing and incredibly helpful when morale was low," said Wilder, who arrived in Ethiopia in February 2014. "Also, I think seeing the country by foot, meeting and helping new people, and experiencing the culture of Tigray and the regions we ran through outweighed whatever hardships I faced."
Five Peace Corps volunteers completed the first Tigray Trek in 2013 and educated nearly 530 community members in nine villages along the way. Their success and local community support led the volunteers to organize this year's trek, which has grown to include 15 additional runners and 12 additional volunteers to help lead educational sessions.
"I am immensely proud of the 20 Peace Corps volunteers who are putting themselves to what might be the toughest physical test of their lives - a 242 km run through Tigray - to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in collaboration with the local Ethiopian communities along their route," U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia M. Haslach said. "Their dedication and stamina in support of Ethiopia and its people and Peace Corps' mission - to promote world peace and friendship - are truly impressive."
Peace Corps volunteers play a key role in combating HIV/AIDS through programs in more than 60 posts worldwide and help to advance the mission of theU.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The Peace Corps trains all volunteers who serve in Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia to be advocates and educators of HIV/AIDS prevention and care. The language and cultural training that Peace Corps volunteers receive during their service uniquely positions them to play an essential role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
About Peace Corps/Ethiopia:There are currently 201 volunteers in Ethiopia working in the areas of education, health, agriculture and environment. During their service in Ethiopia, volunteers learn to speak the local languages, including: Amharic, Oromifa and Tigrinya. More than 3,355 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Ethiopia since the program was established in 1962.
