Stepping Up for the Environment at this year’s R2EP

This year’s Run 2 End Poverty (R2EP) took place on October 16 and 17, 2021, which coincided with the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

The event called on staff, EWB Chapter members, Fellows, and the general public to participate in any physical activity of their choice during the two consecutive days of action to raise awareness for global poverty issues. As our largest peer-to-peer fundraising initiative of the year, R2EP leverages the EWB Network and community to take action by mobilizing participants' own networks to engage with and donate to EWB programs working to eliminate the root causes of poverty and inequality.

Recognizing that climate change has a considerable impact on poverty levels and disproportionately affects marginalized groups, this year’s R2EP primary focus was on raising awareness around environmental sustainability as an important step towards ending global poverty. Proceeds from the event will be used towards finding permanent solutions to problems caused by climate change.

We had incredible support from 128 participants who all fundraised and brought amazing spirit to the event by doing different activities such as running, biking, hiking, and more. People from all over the globe joined us; we had participants from Toronto, Montreal, Newfoundland, Edmonton, St. John’s, and even Uganda, Ghana, and Kenya.

With over $13,000 in donations raised, our Community is supporting social entrepreneurs who address climate-related challenges, for example, agricultural technology seeking to adapt to a changing climate and preserve food security.

An example of a social entrepreneur addressing climate change that EWB supports is Prince Kwame Agbata, the CEO and founder of Coliba Ghana Limited. Coliba is the leading recycling company in Ghana using mobile technology

to ensure environmental sustainability. Coliba recycles various forms of plastics with sustainability as their focus, and turns them into products while also supporting waste pickers. They are passionate about addressing plastic pollution and mitigating climate change by creating opportunities through a circular economy. Read more at their website here.

Our top fundraisers were Boris Martin, our CEO, and Hannah, a member of the EWB Western Chapter. The Western Chapter was also the winner of this year’s event, with a fundraising total of $3,575.

This year’s event was a success and we are thankful to everyone

who participated and donated! Join us for the R2EP Award Presentation and more critical discussions on systems change at this coming year’s xChange National Conference, happening January 14-16, 2022. Early bird tickets are on sale now!