The Global 5K is NOT about:

1. The Global 5K is NOT about… winning a race!

I know this may be ironic and disappointing to some, but at heart, this event is about gathering people around the globe to show up and support Honours College Scholarship Fund—a fund that is used for students facing financial hardship or family crisis.

2. The Global 5K is NOT about… funding operations of Uganda Partners.

While some of you do support operations through the Multiplying Talents Fund (THANK YOU–we could not run Uganda Partners without you!), the Global 5K has been all volunteer run and 100% of the profits beyond the t-shirts and postage go to the Honours College scholarship fund!

3. The Global 5K is NOT about… the money!

While of course, we are committed to sending the scholarship funds to Honours College, we’re also “running” this event to help connect UCU alumni, USP alumni and other supporters to each other and to the work of Uganda Partners. This event helps us share the story of Honours College students but also of the wider impact of Uganda Christian University.

4. The Global 5K is NOT about… showing off our well-oiled machine!

One reason we’re so impressed with your support is that we realize we are still running a fairly simple, “unsophisticated” event. Even with our somewhat amateur communications, you all have showed up—some of you have joined all three years, some of you have joined from far away, and some of you incorporating your friends and family. Thank you for your trust and support.

5. The Global 5K is NOT about… following rigid rules!

When we first envisioned this event, we liked the idea of something happening at UCU the weekend before the Spring Rwanda trip (for USP). We realized that for many reasons, participants around the globe and participants in many different life circumstances, might need to participate at different dates/times and in different modes of mobility. While this makes it a rather “unconventional” 5K, we hope that this allows a variety of folks to participate—with only appreciation from our side, no judgment regarding your times, distance, mode of transportation, or date of participation!

So, if the Global 5K is not about a race, not about funding operations, not about the money, not about showing off our well-oiled machine and not about rigid rules…..What is Uganda Partners Global5K?

What Uganda Partners Global5K is about:

1. The Global 5K is about… gathering and generosity!

Participants around the world show up for each other and for the future of Honours College students at Uganda Christian University. We’ve been using the proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” That is fundamentally, our picture of this event. While it can be enjoyed as a typical 5K, we hope that the limitations of a “race” do not stop people from participating—we encourage creativity, community and generosity over a typical competitive 5K race!

2. The Global 5K is about… maximizing free social media and free human resources!

As you can imagine, many folks in Uganda work to make the event happen on the weekend of finals, the weekend before the Rwanda trip! Various folks have supported me (Abby) as I try to coordinate the event everywhere else. The benefit of volunteers is the percentage of money that goes to the scholarship fund; the down side to volunteers (mostly Abby!) is a volunteer “skill set” as regards communication, marketing, organization, etc. I’m working with Mark on recruiting some volunteers with more of these skills as we look to future of Uganda Partners social media efforts!

3. The Global 5K is… about the fun, the community, the love!

One thing I’ve enjoyed most in the last two years is hearing the stories of folks who have used this opportunity to connect with others, to walk/hike/canoe in beautiful places, wear full banana costumes out in public, participate in this event around the world! And of course, I love the photos from UCU of folks showing up, doing calisthenics, running the race, giving of their time, talents and energy—during exam week and the weekend before their Rwanda trip!

4. The Global 5K is about… sharing our work in progress!

For those of you have participated in the last three years, we appreciate your support as navigate this new role with Uganda Partners. While we have begun with this Global5K, we will see where the journey leads us. I see the Global 5K as our foray into using social media to build our connections with you and to help connect you to the wider story of Uganda Christian University. We will keep evaluating our capacity, our team of volunteers, UCU’s expressed needs, and the best uses of social media to see how to build a strong foundation of support for UCU.
Uganda Partners supports UCU as they incorporate Community Nursing into their Bachelors of Nursing.

5. The Global 5K is about… ubuntu (meaning: humanity to others, “I am because we are”)

We hope that wherever you are, wherever you move, whoever you “5K” with, you will take this opportunity to enjoy the spirit of ubuntu and know that while this event is relaxed, relational and fun, your generosity and financial support is making a big difference in a students’ life—allowing them to finish their studies, care for their families, and transform East Africa! Your participation is expanding/offering humanity to others.