Tom and Harry face the Dragon for medical care in Sierra Leone & Zambia

On the 1st of September 2025, brothers Tom and Harry will set out on a 6-day ultra marathon, running the full length of Wales along its rugged, mountainous spine. The Dragon’s Back Race is “one of the toughest mountain races in the world,” spanning 380km with a total ascent nearly equal to climbing from sea level to the summit of Everest — twice. They’re woefully underprepared will very likely have a miserable time. In an attempt to bring meaning to this otherwise pointless and futile endeavour, they will be raising money for very worthwhile charities. Anything you can give will go a long way to improving the lives of people in Sierra Leone and Zambia….as well as spurring the boys on when they reach their darkest hours on day 5 of running! . Masanga Hospital (supported by MasangaUK) is one of few major hospitals in Sierra Leone, treating some of the poorest communities in the world, in a country still rebuilding after years of civil war and the Ebola epidemic. With Masanga UK’s help, the hospital has been able to train dozens of local surgeons, doctors and nurses, and provide safe medical and surgical care where it simply wouldn’t exist otherwise. Harry and his (now) wife, Alex, volunteered as doctors at Masanga through 2020 seeing the enormous challenges they face and the impact it has on the people it serves. They both still sit on the charity’s board. masangahospital.org GADP (Global Anaesthesia Development Partnerships) helps tackle a hidden but devastating crisis: in countries like Zambia and Ethiopia, there are far too few trained anaesthetists to meet the huge and growing need for safe surgery. Without anaesthetists, even the most skilled surgeons can’t operate. GADP supports training programmes in local hospitals, building long-term capacity so patients can get lifesaving operations. Shortly after the Dragon’s Back, Harry’s moving to Zambia for 9 months to train anaesthetists with GADP. gadpartnerships.com While Masanga and GADP are fortunate not to be dependent on USAID funding, much of the medical care in the areas they serve is, so is struggling to provide services since Donald Trump slashed funding. As a result these charities are having to absorb extra pressure and are under a lot of strain. So while the world’s focus is rightly on the atrocities of Gaza and Ukraine, organisations like Masanga and GADP continue to need more support than ever to improve the lives of those they touch.