Dear Friends,

On July 16th 2010 I will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa in aid of the Parikrma Humanity Foundation ( www.parikrmafoundation.org). The trip will be funded by me so 100% of donations and sponsorship will go directly towards the foundation. However If there are any companies out there that want to sponsor me and get some advertising for their company, please let me know! I currently work part time at Tesco, and Tesco will match 20% of the funds I raise up to a maximum of £2000. My personal fundraising target over the next year will be £10,000, it will be a hard challenge, but well worth it!

Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain and I will be trekking to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa (5895m). The trek will take 6 days to complete. Walking up the Mountain, the weather changes rapidly, one minute it could be minus temperatures, to heavy rain and also very hot.

For over 3 years I have been a volunteer with Parikrma. The Foundation runs four schools around the city of Bangalore, South India for about 1100 slum children and orphans. Many of these children come from the poorest backgrounds imaginable; most of the children have alcoholic parents, and have entered the sex slave trade as young as 4, worked in factories, defend themselves on the streets and far more disturbing stories.

Parikrma believes in giving these children an equal opportunity with the best education and nutrition programme enjoyed by other privileged children around the world. I have volunteered with this organisation for a very long time and know that 100 % of donations go towards the children’s future. The children enter the school at 5 years old and go through college, university and then hopefully a job.

The children mean so much to me and they have given me so much in terms of appreciating what I have got and how privileged I am, I have access to the best education possible, clean running water, a loving family, good food, basic things in life we all take for granted.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will be one of the biggest challenged in my life so far; however it can't compare to the many challenges that children like these, face every single day of their lives.

Please support me however you can and however much you can afford! It only takes a few minutes to donate online. I you can't donate online then contact me and you can fill out my sponsorship form.

Thank you!

Daniel O'Connor

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