Running for Hope House Haiti

Kia ora Aotearoa whanau,

The world has been a bit crazy for a while now. For the most part we have been incredibly lucky as a country to have not suffered as much through Covid-19 as others in our world. We are a strong people with much Aroha and it is my dream that we can share that Aroha with others that currently need it.

Yvrose and Pierre Richard Telfort, a Haitian couple, set up Hope House Haiti as a home to look after children orphaned after the Earthquake of 2010. They are now Mammy and Pappy to 38 children ranging from a few months to young adults in their twenties, all living as a genuine family rooted in love.

Yvrose and Pierre Richard then went on to establish a school in their remote region at the foot of the mountains, aimed at the poorest children in the community, offering a free education and a meal for each child – often the only meal the children get that day.

With elections due in January 2021, Civil unrest has flared up again across Haiti. Covid 19 is now affecting Haiti. Food prices have soared and many schools are once more closed. There are regular road blocks in place making travel difficult. Despite all this their school remains open and up to 750 children have been attending, and Yvrose and Pierre Richard’s family continue to share what food they have.

The video will give you a little a glimpse of their story but a lot has changed since it was filmed, such as the number of children in their family and in their school. https://youtu.be/FYznx0Cj0vo

I've had a tough journey with my health and fitness over the last couple of years. I had two concussions from Rugby in 2019 that set me back for a long time. In the last few months I have been working hard to get fit again and thought what better way to do it than committing to a marathon and fundraising for an amazing charity.

I will be running the Auckland Marathon on October 31st this year (2021), something I have never done, to raise funds for this special cause. You can follow my journey here https://www.instagram.com/tobylukeh/ as I train leading up to the event.