Dear Friends, Family, Colleagues and Fellow Adventurists!
Last year my friend and mentor Robert Bal suggested that we think big and do something amazing in 2010. Admitedly we started going down the route of doing something luxurious however nothing felt quite right, diving in Belize, driving the best super cars in the world etc....
Then Robert suggested climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and everything just clicked in to place. We knew that for both of us climbing Mount Kilimanjaro would take us out of our comfort zones. As well as giving us that sense of achievement we were looking for.
So in February we started researching about Kili and all the things we needed to do. Mount Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and is the 4th highest freestanding mountain in the world, rising to 5893m above sea level.
Therefore on the 4th October 2010, We will attempt to complete Machame route in 7 days, which is described as the most scenic albeit steeper route up the mountain. While the climb is technically easy, the altitude, low temperature and occaisional high winds make this a difficult and dangerous trek.
Acclimatisation will be essential and we are likely to suffer some degree of altitude sickness. I will be taking a journal with me with all the names of people who have donated or supported me during this challenge. Which I intend to use to get me through the tough times, as we've been advised that we will suffer considerable discomfort, typically shortage of breath, hypothermia and headaches at some point! So if you're un able to donate this time any messages of support will be much appreciated!
Next step was to do some training beforehand in order to improve our chances of reaching the summit. In March, Robert and I, climbed up Jbel Toubkal in Morocco which at 4167m it gave us our first taste of altitude. It was one of the hardest things I've done and certainly opened our eyes to what we would expect on Kili.
Next I spent a week walking in Scotland with my friends Rachel and Helene. We spent 6 days walking the West highland way, 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William. It was a great way to experience walking for 6 days straight through some of the most scenic landscape in the British Isles.
Well that's probably enough about me! At the end of the day as much as I'm excited about doing this challenge, I didn't want to be the only one to benefit from this experience. Which is where my chosen charity comes in to play.
Talking about things clicking in to place. At the beggining of the year my mum suggested that I read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, which I found very inspirational. Then recently when we went back to climb Jbel Toubkal again, Robert and I stayed at the Kasbah du Toubkal. Which is where I found out about Educational For All (EFA). I immediately felt a connection to this charity. Partly because I would like to give back to the local community (I'm currently working in Morocco). Plus because I realise how lucky I am to have had a free education which has allowed me to travel the world doing the job that I love to do.
At present, few girls from rural communities in Morocco continue their education after primary school. College is not accessible to them, mainly because their parents cannot afford lodgings for their daughters or because accommodation near colleges, often far from where they live, is inappropriate and parents do not have the confidence to send their daughters.
To help tackle this, Education For All, a Moroccan NGO, is running girls’ boarding houses near secondary colleges, allowing some girls from rural families to continue their education.
Their running costs are estimated to be circa 1,000 euros per girl per year. This provides living accommodation and meals and the necessary school materials and some clothing etc. Apart from a paid housemother and cook, there are no administrative expenses as both the committee and volunteers work on a voluntary basis allowing 100% of your donations (apart from justgiving’s charges) go directly to the project. Their website for more information is: http://www.educationforallmorocco.org/index.htmlThanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page!
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
Many thanks for your support!
Big hugs
Charlotte :-)
