IN A bid to complete 200 marathons in two years, Sharon Daw, a retired dairy farmer from Callington, is well on her way to achieving this — with her next marathon set to take place on Sunday, May 27.

Sharon has the aim to run 200 marathons in two years, and is well on the way to doing so — including ten marathons in ten days, making 58 in 52 weeks. She is seeking sponsorship to help Devon Aid Korogwe (DAK), based in Bratton Clovelly, which provides water projects to needy villages in Korogwe, Tanzania.

DAK has been operating for more than 20 years, initially helping Korogwe schools with such things as tshirts, books and typewriters. Then, after becoming a registered charity in 2000, the group has concentrated entirely on providing water to villagers in the district of Korogwe, and some neighbouring districts in the Tanga region of Tanzania.

There are many water related diseases resulting in numerous young children not reaching their teenage years. Adults suffer debilitating problems and many lose limbs, and even lives, from attacks by crocodiles.

Instead of the women having long treacherous journeys to polluted streams, holes and crocodile infested rivers, to fetch heavy buckets full of water, they now have access to clean, safe water much closer to their homes from wells with pumps, or gravity pipelines with taps — installed by DAK.

Women have more energy and tome to help the men with the family’s crop growing or even income generating activities such as basket making, using locally grown grasses. As a result teachers have told members of DAK that more children have been able to regularly attend school.

Donations to support Sharon would be gratefully received by the charity. For more information visit the website www.water4korogwe.com