Colleagues within Credit at Bank of Scotland have challenged themselves to raise funds for Orphans and vulnerable children in Africa.  The Balcraig Foundation supports a number of initiatives:- residential care for Orphans, protection within "safe houses" for young Maasai girls and schooling.  The Orphanage looks after c.130 children, the "safe houses" c.40 girls and the schooling c.600 pupils.

A focus for 2007 is to help protect the Maasai girls who can be subjected to female genital mutilation, an illegal act but still part of the tribal culture.  It is a barbaric ritual which often finds the girls in a position of  being married at 9/10 years.  Subsequently many die in child birth - given their young age.

I am challenging myself to undertake this very hilly but scenic West Highland Half Marathon.  My first half marathon for 21 years !  Training has been erractic - pulled calf muscles put me out of action for 4 weeks followed by a cold but I am determined to get to the finish on 5th May and raise some cash for the Charity. 

These children both need, and deserve our support, living as they do with poverty and a society de-stabilised by Aids.

Please dig deep - I am.   Thank you for any support you can give.

David