One of Kenya's greatest long distance runner, Douglas Wakiihuri, has expressed gratitude to Bermuda for helping improve the lives of children in Africa's second largest slum.A snowballing success story, which gained momentum when the 1987 World Marathon Champion visited Bermuda for the first time three years ago, is now being reported by media in his homeland of Kenya and as far away as Japan.Last Sunday a further $2,200 was raised for the Kibera youngsters through the Fairmont-to-Fairmont road race.Mr Wakiihuri, who has returned to the Island to compete in the Bermuda Marathon Weekend, said the money would help change the lives of more youngsters. A similar donation last year, boosted by the Island-based company Hiscox, helped pay for a kitchen at the two-classroom Kibera 7 children's centre, which is now able to provide a meal to its students each day.On Kenya TV this year children in the impoverished Kibera district were filmed training in Bermuda sweatshirts and T-shirts and wearing running shoes.A few years ago such scenes would have been hard to imagine. But Mr Wakiihuri not only envisaged such an outcome, he made it his mission to give back to his community and inspire hope among those who have precious little to call their own.“The T-shirts are good, they are still using them after three years,” he said yesterday. The T-shirts, together with tracksuits, were donated by the Mid Atlantic Athletic Club, and transported back to Kenya by Mr Wakiihuri after he came to watch the race weekend in 2010 as a guest.He returned last year and took part in the race weekend, while further promoting the Kibera Kids project, which encompasses a running club for youngsters and the small school, both of which he helped set up and run.Last Sunday, at an awards ceremony following the Fairmont road race, he thanked the Island for showing kind support towards the youngsters of Kibera. He reported that one of the Kibera youngsters had won a 5K race.Mr Wakiihuri told The Royal Gazette that the small Kibera 7 school had seen many students graduate and had been able to provide funds to pay for school fees, uniforms and books for those who could not otherwise afford such things.Media interest in the Kibera project, which has come from within Kenya and also Japan a country where he famously lived and trained when he was a world-beating athlete has brought a new sense of pride and hope to those who live in the vast slum.“I know some of the kids in the slum who have dreams of getting out. The good thing is people are now talking about the running in Kibera and good stories are coming out. They are seeing kids wearing shoes all year round, which never happened before. People are impressed that something like this is happening,” he said.[naviga:iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M_kGQYlf7Cg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen][/naviga:iframe]Many youngsters in the slum walk barefoot because their families cannot afford to buy them shoes. In a place where dangerous levels of dirt cover the ground this can lead to debilitating infections and injuries.The growing awareness of Mr Wakiihuri's Kibera Kids project, together with his long-standing connections with Japan, have helped bring thousands of used running shoes to the slum through the Smile Africa organisation. The shoes have been distributed to schools, to youngsters who take part in races, and to those who train with the Kibera running group.After retiring from running for 10 years, Mr Wakiihuri has returned to the sport after realising, while visiting Bermuda, that he could further improve the lives of the Kibera youngsters by taking part in races and using his well-known name to attract support for the slum kids.He chose the 2011 Fairmont race as his comeback event. This year Fairmont Bermuda Hotels matched the sum of money raised by the Mid Atlantic Athletic Club through the 2012 Fairmont race entry fees to give towards the Kibera Kids project. Mr Wakiihuri expressed gratitude to the hotel, MAAC, the runners and the organisers of this year's Bermuda Marathon Weekend who arranged his return to the Island.The Fairmont race also raised funds for Bermuda's Family Learning Centre.Mr Wakiihuri said there was hope and ambition within the young people of Kibera, adding: “That is only possible when you have people like those here in Bermuda when you have such a platform and encouragement.”He said he felt blessed to have had the opportunity to shine as a world class runner, and that was an opportunity he now wanted to give to the Kibera youngsters.“I don't know if we will get an Olympian from those we have at the moment. What I do hope is that they will go back into society and become teachers themselves of the next generation and change the belief and culture of the slum. They can say ‘I come from the slum and I can win races and I can go out into the world'. That's the culture we want to have.”Victoria Fiddick, one of Bermuda's leading women runners, was instrumental in bringing Mr Wakiihuri to the Island initially, having met him by chance at the Toronto Marathon in 2009.Speaking of the impact the 1988 Olympic silver medallist has had on Bermuda and his work with the Kibera youngsters, she said: “My initial vision was to expose Bermudians to his talent and see him and share some of his knowledge.“It is exciting to know that you are helping the people of Kibera who have such a hard time. That is the main motivation it shows another side to running and how you can change lives through running.“Bermuda's people have supported this from day one.”During his time in Bermuda this week Mr Wakiihuri has been spending time with young athletes passing on tips. He will compete in the Bermuda Triangle Half Challenge this weekend.lSee sport story, Page 23.