So... I have set myself the bonkers challenge of ascending the height of Everest on an indoor climbing machine, all within a period of no more than 24 hours! If you're interested to know why, please read on.....

Before I introduce to you the wonderful people and country of Swaziland, I'll cut to the reason for undertaking this fundraising challenge. Challenge Ministries have started various businesses within Swaziland which employ and train local people. These businesses also provide a significant source of income which fund the child care ministry in Bulembu, where over 400 vulnerable children are provided with a home, food, education, health care and spiritual care. Here follows the main motivator for me - The current Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the temporary closure of all of these businesses, and therefore the child care provision does not have the necessary funds to cover costs. Therefore I'm looking to raise money to support at this difficult time - by ascending the height of Everest on a vertical climber in a period of no more than 24 hours. I have adjusted the step to a height that doesn't totally pummel my knees and will be completing 38,500 vertical steps.

All money raised (less JustGiving's processing fee) will go directly to the child care programme in Bulembu.

I first visited the beautiful landlocked country of Swaziland (now Eswatini) back in 2008. The culture is rich, the landscape is often breathtaking and the people exude warmth and joy wherever you go. This is a wonderful country in Southern Africa with a population of approximately 1.2 million people. This beautiful country also has the highest HIV/Aids prevalence in the world, and 45% of children have been orphaned or are vulnerable. Because of this the population of Eswatini is young, with a median age of 20.5 years and children aged 14 years or younger constituting 37.5% of the country's total population. 

Within this context I met a number of humble people who have given their lives to serving this nation, particularly the children of this nation. These people serve wholeheartedly as part of a charity called Challenge Ministries. There is so much I could say, but please give 10 minutes of your time to watch this film which shows the journey they have taken from 2007 until now. Please copy and paste the link below:

https://youtu.be/MZ8VEZYXq_Y

I have set up this page with the goal of raising £8,848. However my ultimate goal with this challenge is to raise awareness, and obtain 8,848 individual donations (to numerically match the height of Everest). There are a few others who are undertaking other challenges and these are running along side me with this challenge, and together I hope we can achieve this goal. Please support and help us smash this target! Whatever you can give will be so appreciated, and please share this with your contacts.

I realise the majority of donations will be one-off donations via this page and that is absolutely fantastic, and really is all that is asked. However some, having watched the film,  may wish to set up a direct debit and give an amount per month. Please let me know if you want to do this, or alternatively visit the Challenge Ministries website where you can find details. 

Thank you so so much for taking the time to read and watch.