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Profile
Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m, 19,300ft)
Highest mountain in Africa, and the worlds largest freestanding mountain - Very high!

Cause
Supporting VSO’s Regional Aids Initiative of Southern Africa (RAISA)

Basically I am climbing Mt. KILIMANJARO for VSO. This is a 12 day long trek, fraught with dangers beyond you imagination in the freezing cold and snow!  They have an initiative called RAISA, which aims to to provide effective prevention, treatment, care and advocacy for people affected by HIV & AIDS.

I am doing this because I really believe in the cause, and I am always up for a challenge!

I am trying to raise a massive ***£5500*** for this cause and I need your help!!!

You can read more about RAISA below ....

RAISA (Regional AIDS Initiative of Southern Africa) is a four-year VSO initiative seeking to strengthen the response to the HIV & AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa. It aims to join forces with government institutions and civil society organisations to provide effective prevention, treatment, care and advocacy for people affected by HIV & AIDS, and to mitigate the personal, social and economic impact of the pandemic.

Partnerships lie at the heart of all of VSO and RAISA's work, and the essence of RAISA is to provide in-country partners with building blocks which strengthen their capacity to develop their multi-sectoral programmes and to increase their impact.

RAISA focuses on marginalised groups - particularly people living with HIV and/or AIDS, women, children, and youth. By working with local partners, we aim to:

* Provide volunteer development workers to build capacity of civil society, NGOs, and governments to address HIV & AIDS. This includes providing technical assistance in areas such as organisational development, management skills training, fundraising, and marketing

* Provide health professionals in health education, sexual and reproductive health, clinical treatment, and psychosocial care to support the health sector in responding to the pandemic.

* Mainstream HIV & AIDS into VSO's work in rural and urban development, education, health, business and social development. To facilitate this, we provide on-going support such as training programmes, small grants, and resources to volunteer development workers and their colleagues.

* Increase political commitment, combat stigma and discrimination, and improve national and regional responses to the AIDS pandemic by supporting the advocacy and policy work of civil society, NGOs, and governments

* Document "best practice" and lessons learned regionally through information sharing, sectoral workshops, and exchange visits.

Even more info can be seen at:
http://www.vso.org.uk/about/programme_initiatives

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Voluntary Service Overseas will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support.