On the 1st October 2010, we will be setting off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa's tallest mountain (5895m)!
Its not just about the climb. As part of the challenge, we are raising money for charity, 'Find Your Feet'. Please please sponsor us... this is gonna be hard work! Lets do it together!
Find Your Feet are a small charity but yet one that does vital work with local communities in India and Africa to build a future free of poverty, to a make a real difference to the lives of the local people.
So why this charity? FYF provide humanitarian aid that supports long-term rural development projects. They support poor and marginalised people to improve their harvests, set up small businesses and access basic services like clean water, healthcare and education. Every penny that we raise from our Kilimanjaro challenge will make a massive difference to the lives of those living in rural poverty in India and Malawi. Find your Feet was first introduced to us by a good friend who worked for the charity and it was this first hand knowledge that really brought the work of this charity alive for us. These are examples of what your money could provide:
£10 could enable a Malawian community to plant 38 trees, helping them to reduce soil erosion and restore nutrients to the soil.
£25 could train a traditional birth attendant in India to give better care to pregnant women and ensure that babies are delivered safely.
£150 could train a member of a Malawian community to act as a lead farmer in their community, enabling them to teach 20 fellow farmers sustainable farming techniques that will improve their harvests.
£500 could provide training, tools and support for 10 people in India to set up small businesses using indigenous skills such as bamboo work. This will enable them to earn a sustainable income for themselves and their families.
£1000 could provide long-term training and support to 150 Indian women, empowering them to transform their communities by accessing basic government services such as clean water, education and healthcare.
Please help us achieve our target for this charity. We will be starving ourselves of 50% less oxygen (and no chocolate for Akit), sleeping in temperatures of -20°C and enduring hours of trekking on the way to the summit. We can do it!
Thank you so much for supporting us, it means a lot.
Sharon & Akit
