We are the Lwala Community Alliance, a non-profit health and development agency that seeks to build the capacity of the people of Lwala, Kenya to advance thier own comprehensive well being.  We are very excited about teaming up with Real Medicine Foundation for 'Athletes for Real Medicine'.  Real Medicine is a long time partner of ours and we will be hosting our first 'virtual marathon' in Lwala (a rural village in Nyanza, Kenya) which will be held in tandem with the LA Marathon.  

Race Details:

Each school in the area will select two to four students (approximately  40 students total) who will run 5 kilometers in a race to encourage the community in healthy living.  The theme of the race will be “Running for Health” and will include messages to students and participants about how they can improve their health through proper water and sanitation practices, keeping active, and learning about and being tested for HIV.  The Lwala Community Alliance will have staff on hand to provide information on these programs and to provide Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV.  The top three racers will win sports shoes for themselves along with prizes for their school, including sports uniforms and sports equipment.  This race will be run simultaneous to the LA Marathon as a way for the students of the Lwala area to participate in this international opportunity.

Our Work:

The Lwala Community Alliance was founded by Kenyan brothers Milton and Fred Ochieng’, who are natives of Lwala, a rural village in Western Kenya.  At the center of our work is the Lwala Community Health Center which opened in April of 2007. In April 2011, construction on a new maternity and integrative care wing was completed, thereby tripling the space of the original clinic. As a result, the facility is now designated as the Lwala Community Hospital.  Through a staff of more than 25 Kenyans, we treat an average of 1,700 patients each month and have nearly 1,000 people enrolled in HIV care. Over time the program has become more multi-dimensional to include small scale micro-enterprise, public health outreach, water and sanitation, and education programming. Find out more at by clicking on our team page or going to www.lwalacommunityalliance.org 

REAL MEDICINE INC wrote -

2012 will be our 3rd year as an official charity for the LA Marathon. Last year Real Medicine Foundation was able to raise over $21,000.00 for projects in 15 different countries including the Japan Relief Efforts. Athletes for Real Medicine strives to bring not only awareness to the work we do but to make a "real" difference by donating 92% of all funds raised directly to their intended projects. Help us to reach our goal for the 2012 LA Marathon by supporting one of our fabulous athletes, or joining us for the journey!