Tanzanian runners raise £9,000 for Israeli charity supporting heart surgeons

Olympian runners from Tanzania led the field in a marathon in Berlin last week that raised £9,000 for an Israeli charity helping heart surgeons save lives around the world, including in the east African country.

Andrea Sipe Sambu and Said Juma Makula were taking part in a charity run for Israel-based organisation Save A Child’s Heart (SACH), which helps children born with congenital heart disease (CHD) in developing countries.

Among the racers was Berlin-based Englishman Fred Thackery-Vincent, who raised £1,300 alone, registering a time of 3 hours 39 minutes in his first ever marathon, a little behind Sambu and Makula, who finished in 2 hours 45 minutes.

The charity has saved the lives of 610 Tanzanian children, who were brought to Israel for surgery, and a further 132 who had life-saving operations performed by SACH doctors during one of 15 missions to the country.

The charity has also trained Tanzania’s first paediatric surgeon Dr Godwin Godfrey and helped set up a paediatric cardiology wing in the Bugando Medical Centre in Mwazana.

Tanzania withdrew diplomatic relations with Israel in 1973 after the Yom Kippur War but re-established them in 1995. Four years later, SACH began working in the country, and in May of this year Tanzania opened its first ever embassy in Israel.