Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Mark Loktare is from West Pokot District, Kenya. This is an area in conflict. Mark was a fierce fighter - a warrior. He took part in many local conflicts. He was also a cattle raider. He stole livestock, like cows, from other communities. But today, Mark has changed. And he owes it all to... sports?
Voice 2
Yes, that’s right! Mark is no longer a fighter. Instead, he is a racer! It all started after one local conflict ended. Mark was returning home. He saw men and women running up and down a hill. He thought they looked insane!
Voice 1
But these men and women were experienced athletes training for competitions in other countries. They told Mark of the money they earned by racing in these events. Mark could not believe it, but he was very interested.
Voice 2
Mark began to run. He was a good runner, but he lacked the correct clothes and training supplies. He had to make a decision.
Voice 3
“I had to either sell my AK-47 weapon in order to buy a training kit or leave training altogether and go back home.”
Voice 1
What would Mark do? Some people urged him to keep his gun. Some urged him to sell it. One of those people was Tegla Loroupe. Tegla is a very successful runner from Kenya. Mark says that Tegla was an inspiration to him.
Voice 3
“She encouraged me to leave raiding and instead concentrate on running.”
Voice 2
In fact, Tegla Loroupe is a good example, an inspiration, to many people - runners and non-runners! That is because she works for peace in this area of war. Today’s Spotlight is on the Tegla Loroupe Peace Race Foundation. They are working to build peace in the Greater Horn area of Africa. But they are using an unusual method to build this peace - sports!
Voice 1
Running has always been a big part of Tegla’s life. In 1973, Tegla was born in Kapsait, Kenya. As a child, she ran every day to and from school. This was a distance of ten kilometers. And she ran it with no shoes on! She was always the fastest runner in her school. Her family disapproved, but she decided to make running her job. She was very gifted and won many long races in Kenya.
Voice 2
Over the years Tegla won more and more races - even races in other countries. Many of these were marathons. These races are over forty-two [42] kilometers long. She won marathons in New York, London, Rome, Berlin, and more. She set world records for running and competed in the 2000 Olympics. And these are only a few of her many achievements! Running is important to Tegla. But there is something even more important to her, and that is peace. She says:
Voice 4
“I must run to win the most cherished, highly-valued, race on earth, and win my most cherished prize ever - Kayla, peace.”
Voice 1
Throughout her life, Tegla has seen a need for peace in her home area. She tells of the suffering of her people because of things like raiding. The Greater Horn of Africa is an area of Africa on the East Coast of the continent. It includes countries like Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The people of these areas are often poor. Many raise livestock - animals. They need land and water to raise their animals and survive. This can cause conflict over these resources. But Tegla had an idea about how to help solve these conflicts and also improve the lives of the people living there.
Voice 2
Tegla noticed how sports can bring people together. People competing against each other can see that they are equal. They can compete in a peaceful way. They can see that they have common goals and dreams. So in 2003, Tegla started the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation to share her ideas about peace. The Foundation’s motto is: “Peace through sports.”
Voice 1
The Peace Foundation organizes and holds Peace Races. They organized their first Peace Race in 2003 in the town of Kapenguria. Many people took part. And since then, the Foundation organizes and holds peace races four times a year in different places in the Greater Horn. Thousands of people - even some from different countries - take part in the races.
At one peace race a member of the local government explained the importance of the Foundation’s Peace Races.
Voice 5
“For years now, we have been afraid of our neighbors. Members of one tribe have looked at the members of another tribe and have not spoken, for they have been afraid. Now they are not afraid. They are here and they are running alongside one another. Warriors from the different tribes are here today together and they are talking and perhaps... the conflicts will be a thing of the past.”
Voice 2
So, how do the peace races bring peace? People from the warring communities can take part in the races. As they compete against each other they build trust and relationships. They can begin to see each other as equals and people of value. They begin to build understanding. But runners also can earn money in the races by winning prizes. This is especially helpful for their families. It means that they might stop raiding. The runners then bring the message of peace back to their local communities. They act as ambassadors between warring communities. Through them, communication, and finally peace, becomes possible.
Voice 1
But the Foundation does more than just hold races. They also work in the wider community. The foundation runs a school for the children of the Greater Horn area. They run a training camp for warriors who want to stop violence. The camp trains them to run races, and earn money. The Foundation sends teams out to the community to help solve particular conflicts between the people. As a result of the work of the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation the Greater Horn of Africa is changing.
Voice 2
So, what happened to Mark Loktare? Did he decide to sell his weapon and become a runner? Or did he keep his weapon and continue raiding? In the end, Mark decided to sell his gun. He bought the training kit he needed. And he is now a successful runner! He says:
Voice 3
“What I can say and probably tell my friends is that sports are very important. Taking part in sports can earn you money quickly, without risking your life or spilling other people’s blood. My life has now changed completely for I no longer raid.”
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