Hebden Bridge trio to scale Kilimanjaro to give African school kids a 'second chance'
Thursday, 29 July 2010
At over three miles (19,334 ft) above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and stands around four and a half times as high as Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain.
The team hopes to scale the mountain in six days raising £3000 for their charity – enough to set up and fund an entire school for a year.
The team of three dads have six children between them, all aged under five. They decided to make the expedition after learning about the plight of many children in Mali, West Africa, who often go without a basic education because they are orphaned or sent out to work from a very early age.
Mali is one of poorest and least developed countries in the world and 69% of its people live in poverty surviving on around 60p a day.
The Malian charity which the team hopes to help builds and maintains 'Passarelle' or 'second chance' schools for children who have missed out on their first round of education.
Taking part in the climb are Martin Keat and Paul Cooke from Heptonstall and Jamie Gale from Blackshaw Head.
The team sets off from home on the 17th of September and will begin their trek on the 19th. They expect to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro on the 23rd and return the following day. The team are training hard for the rigorous climb and learning how to cope with the altitude sickness they expect to face.
Those wanting to sponsor the Hebden team or find out about the charity they are supporting can do so at: www.justgiving.com/kilimanjaro-or-bust