KIlburn woman puts her best foot forward for Ethiopia

Woman completes 10k run in sweltering heat to raise thousands for clean water projects

WHILE the rest of us were Christmas shopping a caring woman was running through the searing heat of Ethiopia to raise money for charity.

Somaya Ouazzani, 25, took up the challenge of the 10k Great Ethiopian Run to help fund Actionaid’s clean water projects to rural Ethiopians raising �3,000 in the process.

The divorce solicitor from Oakington Road, West Kilburn, had to brave stifling temperatures at high altitude as she completed the course in one hour 18 minutes amid a carnival atmosphere in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa.

She said: “The atmosphere was amazing – it was like a festival. Like Notting Hill carnival with lots of families and school kids singing and dancing in the streets.

It was a really fantastic day and with 30,000 plus Ethiopians and about 200 Westerners running it was a totally unique experience.”

And to help cool things down spectators threw bags of water as the runners, who were often concentrating more on their singing and dancing than their running, went by.

After the race, Miss Ouazzani spent several weeks visiting the Actionaid projects the money raised will fund since the race on November 21.