On 24th September I will be running my second marathon in Berlin to raise important funds for my charity Out of The Box (OTB), which aims to build exciting and stimulating adventure playgrounds in Addis Ababa!!!

OTB is going from strength to strength, thanks to all the wonderful people invloved in both Addis and the UK! We have built two incredible adventure playgrounds - our pilot project in Balderas Condonomium which opened in April 2015 and has been shortlisted for the very prestigious Africa Architecture Awards and a second playground in the Yetesfa Mesk day care centre which we completed this spring.

NOW we are about to embark on our MOST AMBITIOUS project which will see an adventure playground, art wall installation and children permaculture garden building developed at Gotera Condominium, home to 7000 children and young people in Addis!

HOWEVER for this project we are partnering with Manchester Young Lives, a charity that has been working with the children and young people in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Manchester for over 40 years. We are developing a 6 month program which will offer skill and leadership training, design and build experience and will result in 8 young people coming out to Addis Ababa for 10 days to help build the adventure playground! This will be an opportunity of a life time - for them, OTB and the Gotera community!

So friends, family, OTB supporters please help us make this project a reality by kindly donating what you can and supporting me in my attempt to "run" this marathon!! It will make building a playground seem like a breeze!!!!!!!!

Betem Ameseganlo (many thanks)

Sally

OTB CEO and Founder