| Norwich athletes seek recruits to feed hungry
 Four local Christians are recruiting for the 2010 Norwich Triathlon after successfully crossing the finish line this year.
On 5 July Eldred Willey, Colin Howell, Clare Elkins and Pete Tyson (left to right in picture) raised some £1000 for Burkina Faso in West Africa, the second poorest country in the world. They are now looking for more potential tri-athletes to join them next year.
Burkina Faso has unemployment of 77%, illiteracy of 79% and a debt of $1.3 billion. One in five people are chronically hungry, 8.4% of children die during or soon after birth, and hepatitis, typhoid, malaria and meningitis are rampant.
On 12 February Melissa Ilbuodo, a student from Burkina Faso studying at the University of East Anglia, launched a local appeal to provide water in the dry northern area of her country. The project will also supply drought-resistant seeds and solar drying plants for mangoes.
So far the appeal, which has matched funding from the European Union, has raised £14,500. Christian Aid headquarters has now confirmed an EU commitment to quadruple all donations in East Anglia of up to £30,000. All money will be earmarked for the project, which will benefit some 88,000 villagers.
 On the day of the triathlon, Melissa (pictured right) flew home to Ougadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. She is spending two months in the country, and Chrisitan Aid staff have offered to drive her to the north to see the project.
A few days before she left, Bruce Lankford, the head of International Development at UEA, approached Melissa to lend her a camcorder so that she could film the work.
Meanwhile the four tri-athletes are planning for next year. Pete Tyson shook up the local tri-athlete world by coming in 30th in his first event. Colin Howell, who took part this year on a borrowed bike, is planning to get his own racer and take off several minutes next year.
Eldred Willey, after much prayer from friends, achieved a lifetime record by swimming 750m in open water (no rescue launch was required). Clare Elkins, who is much fitter, was catching him up on the run section.
You can watch a video of the event by clicking on the link below.
If you are able to swim, cycle and run, and would like to join the team next year to raise money for Burkina Faso, please contact Eldred Willey on ewilley@christian-aid.org 01603 620051
| 