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....... I MADE IT TO THE TOP!

At 7.40am on Thursday 14 February 2019,  after seven hours battling exhaustion, extreme cold and fighting against the worst winds on the mountain for many years, I had at last reached Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, 5895 metres high! In the glorious early morning sun I sank to my knees in gratitude.

Many times through the night, slowly inching towards my goal, I thought I couldn't go on,  but thinking about the fragile young lives I was climbing to support kept me going. It was without doubt, the most difficult thing  I have ever done yet worth every minute!

Please help me celebrate by making a donation to help Fountain  of Peace Uganda.

The story of how this came about is below.

Thank you and God bless you for your support.

Pippa

HELP ME KICKSTART MY BUCKET LIST ON KILI TO HELP YOUNG LIVES

Climbing a mountain is perhaps a surprising choice for someone who hates camping and thinks climbing the loft ladder is a big deal but I'm determined to do it to mark turning 60 in February 2019 and hopefully make a difference to some young lives in the process.

I have so much to be thankful for in my life and I'll be climbing Kilimanjaro to help some children who were born into nothing;  most of whom have been saved from death and are now cared for by the organisation I'm supporting....Fountain of Peace Children's Foundation.

Standing at 5895 metres Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. I first saw it aged 7 while travelling in Africa with my Mum and Dad. The memories of that early trip came flooding back when I next travelled to Africa 50 years later to work as a volunteer with Christian charity Fountain of Peace Children's Foundation operating in Uganda.

Specifically I'm climbing to raise as much as possible towards the cost of one of the new family homes currently under construction in the expanding FoP Babies and Childrens Village....each one costs around £40,000  to build and complete. 

I've set my minimum target to raise £5895 ...that's £1 for every metre of Mt Kilimanjaro ..... but I want to smash that with your help....PLEASE! (After all, I have to get back down again!!) 

Death in childbirth is a frequent occurrence in rural Africa, this plus abject poverty, the prevalence of HIV and a host of extreme social problems means many infants are abandoned to die by families unable to cope. Since it's inception in 2007 Fountain of Peace has been committed to changing the lives of children In Uganda. It is for the babies and children saved from death and cared for there that I shall be putting one foot in front of the other until I reach the top!

The last 8 years of my life have been transformational as with the help of God and good friends I have grown to embrace my life with joy. The past year in particular has been one in which I have relished the freedom I now have to follow dreams and do things I never thought of before..... so I laughed out loud when after booking this adventure I learned the name of the Kilimanjaro Uhuru Peak on which I hope to summit around 14 February next year translates as Freedom Peak! 

For more info about my chosen charity see fountainofpeace.net or contact me directly via Facebook)

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.