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<p>At 5,895 metres (19,340 feet) Kilimanjaro is not only Africa’s highest peak it is also the highest freestanding mountain in the world. </p>
<p>In December 4 of us, myself (Abi Wright), Alban Coton, Yvette Cuff and Guilherme Silva will be climbing Kilimanjaro. We have decided to raise money for the Philippines as 3 out of 4 of us live in Manila.</p>
<p>Some facts about the Philippines:</p>
<ul>
<li>Population- 97,976,603 </li>
<li>30% of the population is below the poverty line </li>
<li>26.5% of children under 5 are malnourished </li>
</ul>
<p>In Manila alone, 50% of the over 15 million inhabitants live in slum areas. The Philippine Community Fund attempts to improve the quality of life for the poorest Filipino communities, through education, nutrition, health, medical and family enhancement programs.</p>
<p>The PCF work on the cities large dump sites, which are rubbish dumps consisting of two million tonnes of waste. The main site has a large squatter community of 600 families, and it is estimated that 30,000 people live near the site, and make their living from picking through the rubbish.</p>
<p>Last year, at least 800 children were educated and given daily meals by PCF. Over 5,000 individuals from the community were served by the organization’s on site clinics through consultation, prescription, and referrals. 80 adults from the community were employed and given regular incomes, and over 4,000 families were given relief, grief and shelter assistance.<span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;"> </span><span style="color: #ff0000;">This is not going to be easy for any of us.... if you would like to see a copy of our itinerary please let me know. Below is a snapshot of "Summit Night"</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: &amp;amp;amp;">You will rise around 11:30 PM and have some hot tea and biscuits before you shuffle off into the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk to Stella point is for many climbers the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trip. At Stella Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest. From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow to Uhuru Peak (2 hour ascent). The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your accomplishment as this is a day to remember for the rest of your life.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">So please dig deep and donate now.</span></strong></p>
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