History

Run for Relief in Burma was started in Seattle, Washington in the USA by friends and relatives of relief workers who were working with Burmese refugees in Thailand. Run for Relief provided a way to raise support for their organisations, and to raise awareness of the issues in Burma. Since then, through the interest of other individuals and organisations, there have been Run for Relief events in other parts of the USA, Norway, Thailand, Australia and now in Scotland. The main mission of Run for Relief has remained unchanged: to increase awareness of the issues in Burma, and to raise support for the organisations working there.

Why

So why a run? Simple…because for about a million villagers in Burma, running is not a choice. Villagers are forced to flee their homes and livelihoods and run. When the army attacks, whole villages run into the jungle leaving everything but what they can carry. Their homes will be burnt, and anyone who stays behind faces rape, death, and forced labour.

Partners Relief & Development UK, and the organisations they work with, provide help, relief, and training to these villagers. They provide them with essential things like medical care, food, clothing, and sanitation packs. They don’t, however, rely on their own workers to constantly be there to provide this aid; they train villagers to treat wounds and provide minor medical care. They work to educate villagers and refugees, so they can develop skills.

We run with the hope that one day, these million villagers won’t have to.