At the runner’s expo at the Providence Marathon, I met Dave who is one of the founders of Janji.

Launched in May 2012 by two college runner, Janji is a Boston based brand of performance running apparel that helps battle the global food and water crisis. Sold in over 80 specialty running stores across the country and online, each piece of apparel provides nutritional medicine, clean water, or seeds for farming through one of the five organizations Janji partners with. Each piece of apparel is designed after a country’s flag and proceeds then help that country. For instance, when a runner buys Janji’s Kenya running shorts it gives a season’s worth of water to a Kenyan family.

On the way to the 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Mike and Dave had an idea: what if they could connect runners around the country to solve one of the world’s most serious problems? By the time they came home from the track meet, Janji was born.

Mike and Dave knew runners like themselves were charitable. But they saw that philanthropic running only begins — and unfortunately ends — on race day. They want Janji to change that. Through Janji’s high performance apparel, runners can fund solutions and raise awareness for the global food and water crisis in a meaningful and lasting way. Now, rather than racing just one day for a cause, runners can give back through everyday training.

Janji’s goal is to create a community dedicated to running for another. That was Mike and Dave’s goal on that bus, and that’s what Janji will always be about.

Check out Janji’s website and support the work they are doing by clicking here. You can also “like” Janji on Facebook by clicking here and follow them on Twitter @RunJanji.