We're raising funds for Hope for Children, a UK charity.  They work with street children in Uganda's capital city Kampala.  There are hundreds of children facing terrible conditions in the city. HOPE has committed to make sure 100% of your donation goes to the children themselves.

Hamish and Robert are brothers and are running the Marathon Des Sables (MdS), the world's toughest footrace, together to support HOPE. The MdS is a 6 day, 156 mile run through the Moroccan Sahara Desert in April 2013.

Many Ugandan street children have escaped violent and abusive homes and have turned to a life on the streets.  They are subjected to violence on a daily basis, sexual exploitation and exposed to conditions that are unimaginably difficult. Many turn to drugs to escape their reality.  Homeless, severely malnourished and stigmatised by society many of children never make it to adulthood.

Hope for Children is a great organisation that offers the children real hope and is a leading expert in working children with complex needs.  We work on the streets with the kids to build their trust and develop a relationship with them.  They are then referred to our daycare centre which is near where the kids hang out. At the centre we offer art, sport, acrobatics and lots of other activities that the kids choose themselves.  We aim to give them a space where they can be children.  We also offer more specialist services such as therapy, counselling and specially designed  teaching which equips them to return to mainstream education when the children are ready.  Recently we started to offer medical care which is greatly needed in the slums where the children live.  

Robert is the programme manager of the project, he visits them every week to make sure everything is on track.