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At the end of April I am going to Sinai, Egypt, for 10 days to help build a small dam for the Bedouin.   The mountains of Sinai have rocky valleys dotted with ancient Bedouin gardens. Due to years of draught the gardens are slowly dying and the Bedouin are being forced to give up their sustainable way of life at the same time as work is scarce.  However a small dam high up the valleys can store the modest amounts of rain that come occasionally and make a difference to many gardens and families below.  This dam will link with others already built by the Makhad Trust in the vital role of containing the scarce rainwater needed to fill the Bedouin garden wells. The wells supply 500 traditional orchard gardens in the mountains but many gardens are dying through lack of water.  As a result of the series of small dams already built many families have been able to revive their gardens and have more food to eat and produce to sell. The dams have been a joint effort between the Bedouin and British working parties.   I am quite accustomed to camping and trekking.  I go camping each summer and some of you may remember that I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2001.  But this journey will be a completely different experience.  (For a start I’m 11 years older than then).  It includes a trek through the majestic Sinai Mountains, sleeping under the stars and desert exploration.    The journey will be in two parts.  I will be part of a small group who will work alongside the Bedouin to build Gnoowa Dam.  Then we will trek in the desert and experience the desert as a place of silence and contemplation.    Would you help sponsor the building of the dam?  Your donation will help towards the cost and transport of materials, and local experienced labour.  If you would prefer to donate by cheque please message me so that I can give you my address.  Thank you.   When Helen Cranston mentioned about this trip last March I didn’t take much notice initially.  I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, not enough holidays from work, etc.  But on the drive home later that day I started to think ‘What do I have to do to make this happen?’  By the time I arrived home I had decided that I was definitely going to go and I emailed her the next day.    Although I have known about this trip for almost a year it has only been definitely confirmed recently.  Now I’ve arranged unpaid time off work, sorted out people to cover my classes, and the flights are booked.  I can start to get excited about it.  And it is happening as I am celebrating my 60th year.   The Makhad Trust is a UK charity working to sustain the heritage and traditional way of life of the Sinai desert’s Bedouin tribes.  If you would like to know more about the work that has already been done, please look at <a href="http://www.makhad.org/">www.makhad.org</a>     <span style="font-family: &amp;amp;quot; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">I will return with lots of photos so that you can see the work we have done helping to build Gnoowa dam. <span style="font-family: &amp;amp;quot; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">  Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. If you would prefer to donate by cheque please message me so that I can give you my address.  Please dig deep and donate now.  Thank you.

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