By Mark Dreger

Despite the snow and cold, men and women came out to participate in Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 annual Walk In Her Shoes event in Mission Creek Park to celebrate International Women91裸聊视频檚 Day on Sunday.

91裸聊视频淲hat we91裸聊视频檙e doing here today is we91裸聊视频檙e walking 10,000 steps and it91裸聊视频檚 to walk in solidarity with women and girls around the world91裸聊视频攎ostly in developing countries91裸聊视频攖hat have to walk 10,000 steps91裸聊视频攐r 6 to 7 kilometres91裸聊视频攁 day just to get the basics, so firewood, water, and food,91裸聊视频� said Wendy Wright, the Volunteer Event Chair for Walk In Her Shoes. 91裸聊视频淲alk In Her Shoes is doing events not just here in Kelowna, but (Sunday) they were also in Vancouver and Calgary, and later on in the week they91裸聊视频檙e in Edmonton.91裸聊视频�

Participants also had the opportunity to wear weighted baskets on their heads to get a taste of what it feels like to carry water during the long walk.

91裸聊视频淥ne of the things that we want to do is promote awareness,91裸聊视频� Wright said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not just about fundraising91裸聊视频擨 mean obviously we want to be raising funds to help these women and girls91裸聊视频攂ut it91裸聊视频檚 not just about that. It91裸聊视频檚 raising awareness of what continues to occur in our global community, and if we can help and raise one woman out of poverty it91裸聊视频檚 said that she takes four other people with her.91裸聊视频�

Renye Lebel and Paul Maarschalk, who both took a trip to a mud hut village in Zimbabwe, got a firsthand look at the troubles families go through carrying water long distances to and from their homes.

91裸聊视频淸Young women] were sitting beside this table, this plastic table with all these huge buckets, like five gallon drum buckets,91裸聊视频� Lebel recollected, 91裸聊视频渁nd I asked the woman, 91裸聊视频榳hat are all those buckets for?91裸聊视频� and she said 91裸聊视频榳ell that91裸聊视频檚 where we get our water. That91裸聊视频檚 what us women do: We put it on our heads and go to the well and bring back the water.91裸聊视频� So I say, 91裸聊视频榶ou got to haul all these heavy, big jugs? How far is it?91裸聊视频� And 6 kilometres they had to walk. And that91裸聊视频檚 just to get your water. They were obviously very clean and conscientious and I just thought, 91裸聊视频榳ow, that91裸聊视频檚 going to take a lot of water.91裸聊视频� So it91裸聊视频檚 just stuck with me.91裸聊视频�

According to the United Nations, Zimbabwe ranks 154th in the world on the Human Development Index with Canada ranked 10th.

91裸聊视频淚 asked her why they didn91裸聊视频檛 have running water,91裸聊视频� Maarschalk said, 91裸聊视频渂ecause there is a pipe that runs not very far from them that they would be able to connect up to, but I think it was going to cost them something like $12,000 to get connected up to the water. That91裸聊视频檚 a lot of money there.91裸聊视频�

Walk In Her Shoes is sponsored by Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) that operates in 94 countries on six continents fighting global poverty to improve basic health and education, and increase access to clean water to name a few. Funds raised from Walk In Her Shoes will be directed to support CARE91裸聊视频檚 efforts to improve the nutrition of women and children in Southern Africa.

91裸聊视频淲ouldn91裸聊视频檛 it be a beautiful thing if everyone in this world had access to clean running water that they didn91裸聊视频檛 have to spend half their day getting?91裸聊视频� Lebel said. 91裸聊视频淭o me it91裸聊视频檚 just a basic entitlement that we all need to survive. You91裸聊视频檇 like to see these families be able to live an easier life, right?91裸聊视频�

According to the World Bank, Zimbabwe91裸聊视频檚 GDP per capita was $590US in 2008, but rose to $908US in 2016.

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