UPDATE

I am delighted to report that we summited the Matho La Pass, Ladakh at a height of 5,100m! It was exhausting and I suffered extreme headaches and breathlessness from altitude sickness, but I was so pleased to have made the summit for Standing Voice. Thank you to everyone who sponsored me. If you are still considering sponsoring me you can do so here. Thank you.

On Wednesday 19 July, I fly to Delhi, and then up beyond the north of India to Ladakh “Little Tibet” for twelve days to hike three mountain passes for Standing Voice.

I start with the Matho pass at an altitude of 16,076 ft (4,900 m) then the Shang pass at 15,420 ft and then the Chogdo pass at 15,092 ft. The high altitude will inevitably lead to some altitude sickness and exhaustion and I will be sleeping in tents and it will be extremely cold at night. All the while I will be thinking of the suffering of those persons afflicted by albinism in Tanzania and how my efforts to raise money will help them lead better lives.

I really need your help in sponsorship so that we can raise as much money as possible for Standing Voice. Please note that 100% of whatever you choose to donate goes directly to the charity as I have personally paid my own costs in association with the climb itself.

About the cause and charity:

Albinism is an inherited condition that affects the production of melanin in the body. People with albinism are extremely vulnerable to skin cancer – shockingly, in Tanzania where the UV index is very high, 90% of the albino population die from skin cancer before the age of 40.

Worse still, those born with albinism in Africa are likely to be ostracised and violently abused by their communities. Since 2006, 820 people with albinism have been brutally attacked and killed for their body parts to be used in witchcraft rituals, widely believed to bestow good fortune and wealth. Tanzania and Malawi are the epicentres of these atrocities. Those who have survived have been left mutilated and since the killings began, more and more children with albinism have been abandoned by their parents and left to live in government camps for their protection.

Standing Voice is a force for change, a glimmer of hope for these ostracised people. The charity is currently focusing its work on:

* Building Africa's largest network of free Dermatology clinics across Tanzania and Malawi, which is regularly accessed by over 8,500 people with albinism at 200 hospitals

* Implementing a visual impairment screening programme supporting 3,000 students with albinism visual aids across so they can excel in school

* Delivering counselling and trauma recovery services to the most vulnerable victims of attack and abuse

* Operating albinism specific toll free helplines across Tanzania and Malawi

* Running a vocational training centre which supports hundreds of people with apprenticeships and livelihoods training

* Supporting children with albinism who have been abandoned to access life changing education

* Conducting research to promote informed and effective advocacy

* Raising the voices of people with albinism through advocacy at local and international levels

These are the issues, the cause and the charity I will climb Matho, Shang and Chogdo pass for. Hopefully you will choose to sponsor my climb and help to make a difference.

Together we can save the lives and change the futures of people with albinism. Please support our charity climb for this worthy cause and make a real, tangible impact on the lives of this marginalised community.