Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

This challenge will not come easy to us.  Firstly, we will have to leave our beautiful daughter at home with family for 10 days while we climb. We will miss her terribly.  Secondly, we are not seasoned climbers. I (Michelle), hate the cold and am awful at climbing after spending the first 18 years of life on flat Norfolk terrain.  While Rob, although fitter than me, is also in recovery from an achilles operation, which could make the climb tricky. 

Despite this we have decided that the heartache, pain and cold is nothing more than a temporary discomfort compared to daily challenges that face the children supported by Shika’s educational programmes.  Rob and I are lucky enough to know these brave, hard working, promising kids and see how they have blossomed with Shika’s help.  Now, we want to help Shika to continue to support some of the world’s poorest children with their vital education programmes.

These children don’t have the choice whether to put themselves through a little hardship.  They just have to get on with it.  Many of them struggle without a proper meal each day, living with no water or electricity and the worry that if they get sick, they may not be able to afford to see a doctor.

We can promise you climbing Kili will be no mean feat for us.  There is no guarantee that we will make the summit, what with the altitude sickness, cold and exhaustion, however we will do our best.  We have to.  If you could encourage us by donating whatever you can afford to support our effort, it will make all the pain worth it.  

We want to reassure you that we are not doing this out of some desire to climb Kilimanjaro on the cheap.  We are self-funding this trip, so any sponsorship money raised will go directly to the project.

We want to help Shika keep their after school education support programme funded throughout 2013.  This costs around £750 per month and provides food, extra tuition, counseling and emotional support, life skills and group activity classes to 10-15 of our most vulnerable children every day.

Please help us reach our target to support the after school programme for nearly four months.

Thank you all so much

Michelle & Rob xx

If you would like to find out more about Shika, please visit: www.shika.org.uk