Our Stories

Ellie’s Run for Africa exists not only to change one African child’s life at a time.  It’s about changing a community, and our goal is for those children in Kibera to gain the kind of education that helps them become a leader in Kibera for change. 

Here at home, Ellie’s actions have inspired the community around her to act on behalf of Africa.  To date, dozens of Nashvillians – twice and three times her age – have traveled to Africa to build relationships with students, complete projects started by Ellie’s Run for Africa and dream about next steps in benefiting Africans. 

Meet Mike and Tiffany – Leaders in Nashville’s fashion and apparel industry, Mike and Tiffany are two entrepreneurs who own two businesses.  Having traveled to Africa for the first time in the summer of 2009, Mike and Tiffany returned with a dream to use their industry to further help students in Kibera.  As a response, they founded This Shirt Changes Lives – a t-shirt business that raises funds for some of the same ministries as Ellie's Run.

Meet Christy. Dreams really do come true. The early months of 2007 brought an invitation to become a part of Ellie’s Run for Africa. Two and a half years and a job loss later, Christy found herself on a plane to Africa for a three-month stay. Walking the roads of Kibera, meeting students with hope in their eyes and a spark in their step, conversing with teachers and school directors about the progress they are making with the funds we’ve raised, seeing first-hand what a difference an education makes and being a small part of the work God is doing in this world…these are the moments that became definite highlights of Christy's work abroad.