I am back from my awesome challenge! Read my report and view the pictures at my webpage: www.martin-burkhart.de/kilimanjaro.htm. And of course, you can still donate ;-)

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In July, I will be visiting Kenya for the first time in my life. This trip, however, is even more meaningful for me, as I will be undertaking a personal challenge (climbing Kilimanjaro), while raising funds and awareness that are desperately needed to tackle one of Africa’s largest problems, HIV/AIDS.

The money I raise will go to the international development charity, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). Through volunteers, VSO fights poverty and disadvantage throughout the world. Accenture has been partnering with VSO since 1999 to encourage employees with range of business and management skills to volunteer in developing countries. In Africa, VSO supports programs that provide assistance and treatment for citizens affected by HIV and AIDS. While in Kenya, I will visit one of VSO's projects – Lea Toto, which means “to raise a child” in Swahili. This program provides healthcare for children living with HIV and AIDS in the slums of Nairobi. The goal of this program is to mitigate the impact of HIV / AIDS and decrease the risk of HIV transmission.

VSO organizes “challenges” such as this Kilimanjaro trek to increase their available funds and enable them to continue their work throughout the world. Fundraising is fundamental to the work of VSO. The money raised for VSO goes directly towards recruiting, training, and sending volunteers to countries where they can share their skills and help to change people's lives.

I am committed to raising money and awareness for this important work, but I need your help. I have set a fundraising goal of £2700 (approximately €4000) and donated myself £1000. Please see the list below for examples of what specific donation amounts help fund.

·       £10 (€15): helps to support a VSO volunteer management specialist for a day
·       £30 (€45): helps provide a month's supply of anti-malaria tablets to keep a VSO volunteer healthy and working
·       £50 (€75): provides HIV and AIDS training for a VSO volunteer to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in local communities
·       £100 (€150): helps support a VSO volunteer pediatrician for a month
·       £250 (€375): helps a VSO volunteer to train 20 local teachers in special teaching methods in order to support children with disabilities

I feel very strongly about supporting these programs and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to see firsthand how contributions to VSO are making a difference. Please help me to support VSO with a financial donation of any amount. Thank you so very much for your generosity. I look forward to sharing stories with you when I return.

Martin Burkhart
martin.burkhart@accenture.com 

Please note that all donations made on this site are in British Pounds. See above for example conversions or visit www.xe.com. Justgiving.com is a safe and secure site.

For more information on VSO, please see:
http://www.vso.org.uk/

For more information on VSO’s work in Kenya, please see:
http://www.vso.org.uk/about/cprofiles/kenya.asp

For information on VSO’s Regional AIDS Initiative for Southern Africa (RAISA):
http://www.vso.org.uk/about/programme_initiatives/raisa.asp