Phil Howard has taken part in 2 marathons in 2 weeks on behalf of ACE Africa and Sam Kite is soon to take on the 3 peaks challenge, we wish her the best of luck! John Dwyer will be cycling from London to Amsterdam in support of the Rosie Dwyer Fund.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who does a challenge event on behalf of ACE Africa – please do get in touch if you are interested in doing one on our behalf.

On Sunday 8th of July a team of 20 ACE runners took part in the British 10k London Run. We met for the team photo before the run and even the early start on a grey and rainy morning didn’t wipe the smiles of our fantastic ACE team enthusiastic runners!!

The atmosphere with 30,000 runners and supporters all along the route was phenomenal, with the music blasting and the crowd raring to go! Before the start gun sounded, ACE Africa, were entertained by the sounds of Heather Small singing ‘Proud’, followed by the national anthem and a brass band.

Despite the course around the river Thames being largely flat, running 26miles and 385 yards (42,2km) is a huge challenge for even the most fit individuals! Passing many of London’s famous landmarks en-route is a great opportunity to experience London in the most exciting of atmospheres. Runners often say the most exciting stage of the run, is approaching Tower Bridge to the throngs of supporters eagerly cheering everyone that passes by.

There was a double victory for Kenya as Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany were victorious in the male and female elite races.

ACE Africa’s stars were Phil Howard and Luke Mackowski who ran for ACE in this year’s marathon.

Luke Mackowski said ‘The atmosphere was fantastic. For me crossing Tower Bridge was the highlight second only to crossing the finish line.’The rain held off for most of the morning and even a few showers didn’t spoil the atmosphere. The support is always incredible at such events and really keeps the runners going.

Phil decided to raise money for ACE Africa and Save the Rhino after a trip last year to our project sites in Kenya and Tanzania. Phil raised a staggering £12,000 for his two chosen charities, and Luke Mackowski raised an impressive £1,600 for ACE Africa!
‘I was really blown away from the generosity of my friends, family and colleagues, ‘said Luke.

ACE Africa would like to congratulate Phil and Luke on their achievement and thank them for their incredible support. We really appreciate the time and effort involved in training for such a challenge, taking part in the event as well as raising money to support our community support programmes.

Just as importantly thanks to all those people who sponsored and supported Luke and Phil.

These funds will go a long way to support many orphaned and vulnerable children and families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in rural Kenya and Tanzania.

If you are interested in running for ACE in a marathon or would like to take part in the upcoming 2012 British 10k London Run or would like information on similar events and challenges, please contact us now at the ACE office event@ace-africa.org or Tel: 020 7933 2994.

Thanks to the support of all those who attended and the generosity of our Auction and Raffle prize donors, the evening raised just over £5,500.  These funds will go a long way to support many orphaned children and families in rural Kenya and Tanzania, and ACE Africa would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for supporting the event and making it such a success.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back next year!

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a once in a lifetime experience, truly exhilarating with testing conditions. Temperatures fluctuate from freezing at night to intense heat during the day and oxygen levels at the summit are half those of sea level. It is an experience not easily forgotten and made up by the spectacular views at the summit! “At 5.50am on Wednesday 25th Jan 2012 after 4 days of climbing and 2 porters evacuated with altitude sickness, we successfully summited the world’s highest freestanding mountain Kilimanjaro”

“After our climb we were very fortunate to go on project sites in Arusha and see some of the amazing work ACE Africa does.”

Anthony Okoti, ACE Africa’s Founder and Project Manager, and George showed John and James some of the projects in Kimyaki and Mateves just outside Arusha, which are in the early stage of its’ second phase. The boys got a taste of the programmes that ACE Africa carries out in the communities.

First stop of the afternoon was visiting a support group who were involved in running a goat co-operative. The goats milk forms a vital source of nutrients for the support groups, many of whom are living with HIV and AIDS, as well as OVC and PLWA that the group are supporting in the community. Any surplus milk is sold at the local market and profits invested into group activities.

The boys were introduced to a group who ACE have provided with a Posho Mill and have trained in producing nutritious flour. The grains (sorghum, maize, millet and soya) which are ground into flour using the mill are used to create a nourishing porridge. As well as producing flour for their own use, they also sell some at the market, generating income to support at least 20 local children and provide them with basic essentials (soap, sugar, paper for studying, etc.) “The marvellous thing about these projects is that in the majority they were operated for and by women. During our day with ACE Africa we visited both projects and beneficiaries supported by the charity. Many of the beneficiaries are widows living with HIV and receive education, counselling and antiretroviral drugs. It was amazing to see the effect that these drugs had and if used over an extended period of time these people will live longer and better lives.”

“This has been a great experience for both of us and we look forward to supporting future ACE events.”

A big thank-you to John and James for their fantastic support. If you want to take part in a challenge such as ascending Kili and would like the opportunity to see ACE Africa programmes first hand, then please do contact us in the ACE Africa office, event@ace-africa.org / 020 7933 2994, we would love to have your support.

Over the course of the afternoon we chatted to students about their interests in development and their plans for the future. We discussed the programmes taking place at our project sites and hoped to raise awareness with them about ACE Africa. In total there were about 20 organisations taking part in the volunteering fayre, with some other small charities as well as large international volunteering projects. The fayre attracted over 400 students. Well done to Juan Blick who won a copy of ‘A Small Act’ on dvd about the power of education in Kenya in a raffle we held at the ACE stand.

For more information about volunteering and internship opportunities both in the UK and abroad with ACE please read our page volunteer and job opportunities or email on info@ace-africa.org.
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My main responsibility during my internship was to co-ordinate the auction and raffle prizes for the fundraising event. This in itself doesn’t sound like a huge amount of work but this was no ordinary charity raffle! The top auction prizes included a helicopter flight, luxury holidays and (my personal favourite) a meal prepared for you in your own home by a team of 2* Michelin chefs from The Square restaurant. There was an enormous amount of work to be done in liaising with the donors about terms and conditions and producing all the promotional materials on the prizes for the guests to read on the night. The reality was that the guests were going to be spending hundreds if not thousands of pounds on the prizes, so we couldn’t afford any mistakes!

Working on the Going for Gold! prizes was certainly my most important responsibility whilst at ACE, but I had the chance to be involved in many other aspects of the charity’s work. ACE is a tiny organisation, with just two full-time staff members (UK director Sam and fundraising officer Lizzy) and one part-time finance officer (Ade). What this means is that you have to become something of a ‘jack of all trades’. For example, I’m hardly an IT expert, but during my time at ACE I was often asked to help out with technical issues, including uploading photos to the website and getting the scanner to work (easier said than done!) These may sound like relatively simple tasks, but in a very small charity which isn’t able to employ a computer specialist it can be surprisingly difficult! You all just have to muck in as best you can, and it’s all the more satisfying when you do manage to make things work.

Another responsibility which I took on at ACE was to temporarily become the charity’s ‘Twitter master’, contributing to communications through the unforgiving world of social networks! It turns out that ‘tweeting’ is a something of an art form, but when it’s done properly it can be an excellent and completely free way for an organisation to promote itself. I tried to boost ACE’s Twitter profile during my internship, by following a range of humanitarian and Africa-based organisations and posting regularly about ACE’s activities and about developments in the news related to HIV/AIDS. I didn’t quite get ACE up to the fame of Oxfam or Save the Children but I did get over a hundred new followers so not a bad start! Any tweeters reading this, don’t forget to follow @aceafrica.

After spending the best part of 3 months at ACE working towards Going for Gold!, it was very exciting (and nerve-wracking) when the big night finally rolled around. My job on the night was to look after the display of auction and raffle prizes and make sure that they were properly distributed. I ended up being so busy on the night that I scarcely had time to appreciate being in the same room as Darren Gough! It was a wonderful occasion though, and fantastic to see everything fall into place after all the preparations. The evening as a whole made me appreciate just how much can be achieved by a small and dedicated team, with the help of some wonderful volunteers and some very generous donors.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at ACE and would recommend any young person looking for a great introduction to the charity sector to consider volunteering there. I had a chance to be involved in many different aspects of the charity’s activities and above all, I was given genuine responsibility and made to feel like an integral part of the team. When I first started applying for internships, I was very worried that I might end up spending three months photocopying and making tea, but there was no risk of that at ACE! It was a pleasure to be involved with the charity, and long may they continue their wonderful work!

ACE Africa wants to increase HIV awareness amongst high-risk groups in rural Kenya, this awareness will not only protect high-risk individuals but also their families as these individuals risk transmitting the virus on if they do not know their status. Stop-over towns close to Bungoma are synonymous with long distance truck drivers and commercial sex workers. It is vital that these individuals are tested and counselled on HIV, to reduce transmission in the area.

The Moonlight voluntary counseling and testing service offers individuals the chance to get tested at night time, anonymously. This education and awareness raising regarding HIV status leads to behaviour change and character transformation amongst high risk individuals. If you would like to see how ester’s life (previously a commercial sex worker) was improved after she attended a moonlight counseling and testing session, please click here to link to the Global Giving website. £12 could provide 6 high-risk individuals with an HIV test, transforming their lives and their families for the better.

This year we were delighted to be supported by many sporting celebrities, who took part in a ‘It’s Not a Question of Sport!’ spoof show hosted by Paul Farris from Juice Events (complete with blonde wig ‘a la Sue Barker!’). Former British Number One tennis player, GMTV presenter and Strictly Come Dancing competitor Andrew Castle captained one team, with team-mates former professional footballers Andy Townsend and Sam Ricketts. However, despite their best efforts, they were narrowly beaten by former England cricketer and Strictly Come Dancing Winner Darren Gough, who led his team of tennis player Jeremy Bates and pentathlete Steph Cook to victory.

Later in the evening, BBC auctioneer James Lewis hosted the Auction featuring some wonderful prizes kindly donated by ACE supporters. Prizes included a week at a deluxe Thai villa, a dinner for twelve cooked by a team of chefs from 2* Michelin restaurant ‘The Square’, and a helicopter ride over London. Click here to see details of this years Live Auction and Silent Auction lots!

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, ambassadors, pro-bono contributors, table hosts and guests, we are thrilled to announce that the dinner raised over £55,000. These funds will help ACE Africa continue to run our life-transforming programmes in Kenya and Tanzania and will make a a huge difference to the lives of many children. Click here for the full Programme of the evening. Photos from the evening can be seen here on our Flickr stream.

Please note that we have extended the deadline to take place in the ‘Friends of ACE’ Africa Trip Prize Draw. The draw will now take place on World AIDS Day (1st December 2011), so you still have time to enter! Please click on the link for details.

ACE Africa would like to thank everyone involved in this years dinner, and helping to make ‘Going for Gold’ a success.

For any queries or information on ACE Africa’s work, please contact us at:

Tel: 020 7933 2994

Email: ukdirector@ace-africa.org

ACE selects children for bursaries who are the most destitute in society, and who have no hope of further education. This may be because they have been orphaned or left in highly vulnerable circumstances through HIV/AIDS or because their parents, though alive, are HIV positive and in financial distress.

We are looking for new Sponsors NOW for the 2012 school intake. Please see the report on the success of our bursary programme so far and read here for information on how to sponsor a child in the 2012 intake. If you would like to sponsor a child please complete the sign-up form and standing order form. The subscription is £380 (plus Gift Aid) annually and is a 4 year commitment. Sponsors are able to correspond directly with their child.

For any enquiries regarding our 2012 Bursary Programme please contact Priscilla White, Bursary Programme Manager Tel: 01843 291835 or email: priscilla@pawwhite.co.uk

If you would like to read about a sponsors humbling experience with the children they sponsor in Kenya please read Paul and Shan Daniels account of their visit this year, and discover how sponsoring a child’s education really can change a life for the better.

To illustrate the great impact bursary programmes can have, please watch this inspiring film ‘A Small Act’ which documents the story of a young Kenyan, Chris Mburu, whose life drastically changes when his education is sponsored by a Swedish stranger. If you would like to buy or stream ‘A Small Act’, please click below. 10% of proceeds from this link will go to ACE Africa.

ACE Africa have one copy of ‘A Small Act’ to give away. The first person to contact us by email on info@ace-africa.org will receive a free copy of the DVD.

At the end of the assembly, ACE Africa was presented with a fantastic cheque for £1,857.90!!  ACE would like to say a big thank you to the staff, children and parents of Merlin School, Putney for raising a huge amount of money, which will go a long way in supporting our orphan support programmes in East Africa.

Please do contact the ACE office if you think your school, or your child’s school would be interested in supporting ACE Africa, and hearing about our programmes with communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Email: info@ace-africa.org Phone: 020 7933 2994

They have raised close to £750, which will go a long way in supporting children infected and affected by by HIV and AIDS in rural Kenya and Tanzania. If you feel inspired to take part in a similar event and raise vital funds for ACE Africa, please contact us on 020 7933 2994 or email info@ace-africa.org

The event raised a grand total of £2,421.50 for the Rosie Dwyer Art Project at the South End Academy in Bungoma, where 90% of pupils are orphaned due to HIV and AIDS. Money raised for the project is used to sponsor the teacher, David, who continues to do sterling work in teaching pupils arts and crafts.

Huge thanks to the Dwyers for their tremendous ongoing support and their endless supply of imaginative fundraising ideas!  To find out more about the family’s ongoing tributes to their daughter, visit http://www.rosiedwyer.co.uk.

If you would like to organize your own fundraising event to help raise funds for ACE Africa, take a look at our fundraising ideas at http://www.ace-africa.org/fundraising-ideas.aspx or contact us at info@ace-africa.org.

In becoming a ‘Friend of ACE’, you will have the chance to actually see ACE Africa’s community orphan support work ‘on the ground’. All Friends of ACE will be entered into an Africa Trip Prize Draw for a fabulous one-week visit to one of our project sites in East Africa! Please click here for details of our 2011 ACE Africa Trip Prize Draw!. The trip is a one week visit (for two people) to one of our project sites in either Kenya or Tanzania. We will organise and pay for your flights and accommodation, and arrange for you to spend up to 5 days visiting our project site and some of the community members you are helping (see T & C). It is a wonderful way of really seeing how your support is making a difference. Why not combine it with a safari or beach trip and enjoy a longer stay in either Kenya or Tanzania.

We have extended the deadline for entries, and the Draw will now take place (and the winner announced) on World AIDS Day (1st December 2011). So please sign up now and send your completed form to us before 1st December 2011!

Click here for details of our 2011 ACE Africa Trip Prize Draw!and our Friends of ACE Form.

Take on a fundraising challenge
Take inspiration from one of our fantastic fundraisers above, and why not organise your own event or personal challenge? We still have places on our 2011 Kilimanjaro trek (20-29 October) – click on our ‘Events’ page for information. We can help you set up an online fundraising page, send you an ACE t-shirt and arm you with ACE Africa material to help you fundraise! Contact us at event@ace-africa.org

It was a fantastic atmosphere with a brass-band providing the entertainment before the dreaded start. The elite runners were off with a flying start (probably having finished by the time the final ACE runners made it past the start line!) Team ACE was dispersed throughout the 25,000 strong crowd, running alongside various characters including fairies, horses and even a jar of mustard!

The support that the general public and ACE supporters showed along the whole route was amazing – providing a great source of encouragement to everyone taking part. ACE runners really enjoyed the event, passing many of London’s famous landmarks en-route and soaking up the sun. It was a great personal achievement for everyone involved. We are still waiting to hear who the fastest ACE runner was, we will keep you updated!

ACE Africa would like to say a big thank-you to all of the runners who kindly ran in support of ACE in the 2011 London 10k Run. We really appreciate the time and effort involved in training and taking part in the event. Just as importantly thanks to all those people who sponsored and supported our runners, helping ACE to raise vital funds for orphans and vulnerable children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in rural Kenya and Tanzania.

Currently the 17 ACE 10k runners have helped us raise over £9,000 (including Gift Aid), through their fantastic fundraising efforts. Hopefully over the coming weeks, more money will trickle in and we may reach our target of £10k for the 10k! Thank-you again for supporting ACE!

If you are interested in running for ACE in the 2012 British 10k London Run or would like information on similar events and challenges, please contact us now at the ACE office event@ace-africa.org or Tel: 020 7933 2994.

Please support our ACE Africa runners in the London 10k Run!! Text RACE04£1 (or £5/10) to 70070. Funds go to ACE Africa’s orphan support programmes.

Thank you!

THE ACE AFRICA BURSARY PROGRAMME
If you would like to make a difference and give a child hope for a better future, please consider sponsoring a Kenyan child through secondary education by taking part in the ACE Africa Bursary Programme. Contact us for information on our Bursary Programme or click here for details – Sponsors Information and  Sponsors 2011 Sign-Up Form.

If you are interested in finding out more and would like to be considered for our 2 year ACE Ambassador scheme, please contact our UK Director at  ukdirector@ace-africa.org

ACE Africa’s Bungoma office was established in 2003, and so the projects here are now entering the third and final phase in ACE’s 10 year programme.  Having visited Tanzania in October last year and spent a few days in Arusha – ACE’s most recent project site, I was impressed with the difference that  work in Bungoma is making with the local communities, and the impact it is having after 7 years into the programme.  It was very evident from our field visits that many orphans and vulnerable households have benefited enormously from ACE’s presence.  We saw thriving kitchen gardens (albeit waiting for the rains), well-established CtC (Child to Child) Clubs, busy resource centres where effective Child Rights Committees meet and community members may go to for advice and counselling, information, nutritious flour, training in agriculture, and I met many people whose lives have been transformed and who have been empowered to continue to change their lives for the better.

I met several alumni students who, having benefitted from secondary education through the ACE Africa Bursary programme, were now volunteering at the ACE offices in both Bungoma and Siaya to gain work experience whilst waiting for their results and in the hope of going on to tertiary education.  My visit to Siaya made a huge impact on me.  Not only is the ACE programme here at an earlier phase in the model, but the Siaya region is more rural and is far more arid than the Bungoma area, so many people face additional challenges.  By comparison, the visit to Siaya was more harrowing as I witnessed the daily struggles of so many people. However, as in Bungoma, I left with an overwhelming feeling of optimism, where before there had been desperation.

Click here to read my account of the humbling experience of meeting some of the community members in Bungoma and Siaya.

The visit has helped me understand the complexities of the ACE Africa model in partnering with local community members to provide a holistic, sustainable solution to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS, and to empower local people to continue to make changes to transform their lives. I am confident that after ACE’s 10 year programmes reach their conclusions in each project area, the legacy of the changes will continue.  It has given context to my role here in the UK to raise awareness and funds for this incredible charity, and has helped me understand the impact that the ACE model is making and how the funds are being used to give people a better future.  There is of course more work to be done, but with the passion and commitment of the wonderful collaboration of ACE staff, volunteers, local partners and community members, there is every hope that if the ACE momentum continues, then life will continue to improve for many people in desperate need.

I am very grateful to all of the ACE Africa staff in Bungoma and Siaya, who gave me such a warm welcome, and who worked tirelessly to organise our visit. A huge heartfelt thank you to everyone, and particularly to the drivers Edwin, Peter and Martin whose skills at negotiating pot-holes are second to none!

Samantha Kite
ACE Africa UK Director
February, 2011

ACE Africa UK held its second Art Exhibition in 2010 at the end of November at HRW Antiques i

We will be holding another art exhibition in the new year, so look out for news on this, or let us know if you are an artist who would be interested in partnering with us for future exhibitions.

ACE Founder Joanna Waddington explained the ACE Africa story, and during the evening guests were shown some footage of ACE’s work on a short video narrated by Ross Kemp.

Guests were kept amused by Allan Lamb’s cricketing anecdotes, quips by comedian Ian Irving and the evening was held together by quizmaster and MC Gary Heasman. Throughout the evening everyone had a chance to bid on the fantastic silent auction lots by using their own individual ‘smart-cards’ – with the current highest bid being displayed on the plasmas generating some competitive bidding. Some of the auction lots included a fabulous lunch for ten people at 2* Michelin restaurant ‘The Square’ kindly donated by Chef & Proprietor Philip Howard, and unique opportunity to have a bespoke dress made by top designers at Ghost. Through a combination of sponsorship, ticket sales, raffle, auction and donations made on the night, the ACE of Trumps raised over £50,000 in funds, far exceeding the committee’s target. ACE would like to thank the generous sponsors, contributors, raffle and auction donors, volunteers and guests who all made the evening such a success.

“Describing my experience as Intern with ACE Africa I can say that these seven months were a combination of challenges, lessons and rewards!  The challenge for me has been to perform a wide range of demanding tasks such as research on collaboration among NGOs and grants.

I had the chance to learn from  the work and experiences of my colleagues and to participate to many interesting meetings and events in support of ACE Africa. The rewards were being able to contribute with my skills and knowledge to make a difference and to become more confident on what I can achieve.

I found the working atmosphere at ACE Africa very positive and stimulating.  An inspiring experience that gave me more motivation to continue to work in this sector and to focus more on key problems at the heart of NGO management, evaluation and effectiveness.”

Read Elena’s thesis  “Enhancing coordination among NGOs in the fight against HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa” Thesis, Elena Uderzo

“Hello – First of all I would like to say a massive thank you for your tremendous support. Thanks to your generosity we smashed our original target and revised targets and have now hit over £7 000 in fact the cycle challenge fund has now reached £7,128 and with gift aid of £1,339 the total increases to £8,467. (This has increased the overall Rosie fund to just over £50,000!) It was an incredibly tough 10 days (we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way) but we reached Bungoma on time and in one piece. When struggling to get up the
never ending hills I thought of Rosie and your messages of encouragement and they gave me the boost to keep going. Yet no physical pain can ever get close to the sadness of Rosie not being here with us. But Rosie was with me.  I saw her through the beauty of the Kenyan countryside and I saw her smile on the faces of the children in the villages we passed through. I always expected making it to the South End Academy and meeting Brenda (the teacher we are all funding) and the children, would be the highlight of our trip and I was right, they were amazing. I was overwhelmed by their love, energy, creativity and passion. Their room is called “The Rosie Dwyer Art Room” and her photos and artwork adorn one big notice board.  All this was the reason I was there, it was hard to contain such powerful and very mixed emotions. I had no doubt that Rosie’s fund was making a big difference but I never thought that the funding had and will continue to have such a big positive impact on the lives of so many children. As soon as we can get a chance, Jacob and I will put together photos and a short
film of our visit to the school, which will tell the story and show you how your generosity has transformed the lives of so many children. Thank you, John”

Since setting up Rosie’s Fund in 2009, the Dwyer family have raised over £50,000 in her memory.  To read more about Rosie’s Fund, please click here 

Friday 17^th September

After spending a few days in Arusha visiting some of the families ACE are helping, Imma from our Arusha Office kindly took me to the start of my trek.  I arrived at the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort to meet the rest of the group.  Tour Leader Jenny Waller and Expedition Doctor Claire Clapshaw gave a briefing after dinner on the plans for the trek.  Over dinner there was a discussion over how many Diamox tablets should be taken as everyone had been advised different doses.   I had never taken it before for any previous high altitude trips, but the general consensus was that it was the way forward, and I felt the ‘tingly feet’ side-effects almost immediately after taking it.

Day 1 – Saturday 18^th September

After weighing in our kit bags (strict limit of 15kg each), they were loaded up onto the 2 minibuses which would take us to the start of our trek.  It was absolutely pouring with rain in Marangu as we departed for the 2 hour drive to the Rongai Route Park Gate, which would be the start of our trek.  We reached the Park Gate at around noon, and while Jenny checked us all in and registered us on the mountain, we had a quick pack-lunch while we watched the hundreds of porters lining up hoping for a job. We were introduced to our Head Guide ‘Passian’ and the seven Assistant Guides including David, Viviano, Gasper, Baraka and Crossmar who would be with us for the expedition.

We set off after lunch at a very slow pace up the narrow path through cultivated land and up through the rainforest, spotting a few monkeys on the way.  It was a bit frustrating not to be able to go at a normal pace, but the guides explained that it was important to go ‘pole pole’ (slowly slowly) in order to conserve our energy, acclimatise, and help our chances of reaching the summit safely 5 days later.  We constantly had to stop-start to let the porters through as they raced past us to set up camp for the many different groups trekking up the mountain.  We were a large group (29 including our TL and Doctor) and since we had to walk in single-file, we constantly breathed in a stream of dust.  The rainforest terrain started to give way to moorland as we arrived at the spot where our porters had pitched camp.  We dumped our packs before going on a short ‘acclimatisation’ walk – up a couple of hundred meters before descending again.  We arrived back in camp at about 5pm to find our tents up and our porters waiting for us with ‘washy-washy’ – a welcome bowl of hot water brought to each of our tents for us to clean up before dinner – about as civilised as mountain camping can be!  We were filthy from the dust, but I was very grateful for the gaiters that I had decided to throw in my pack at the last minute – they were brilliant at keeping the dust and stones out of my socks and boots.  The temperature dropped quickly as darkness fell, and we layered up and donned head-torches for dinner.  Dinner commenced rather bizarrely with tea and popcorn (this was to become the evening routine) and followed shortly after by a pretty good dinner – a hearty soup, plenty of carbs and veg and then fruit for dessert.  Bed at 9pm and our first night on the mountain!  I slept fairly well until about 2am – my old thermarest which I had last used about 10 years ago still comfortable, and the 4-season sleeping bag (borrowed from Juliet) nice and snug.  Unfortunately I got woken up by snoring from adjacent tents and that was my sleep quota for the night.  

Day 2 – Sunday 19^th September

We woke up to the most beautiful morning with fabulous clear views high up towards Kibo to the right and the jagged volcanic Mawenzi peaks to the left. The valley floor lay thousands of meters below under a thick layer of fluffy white cumulous clouds.  Breakfast at 7am and we set off afterwards for a fairly long hike up to our lunch stop.  Again the porters sprinted past us laden down with supplies. Sadly Helen had picked up a sick bug and had to turn back.  We also lost Donna (suffering from blurred vision), and then later that day her sister Paula (breathing difficulties) and very sadly the lovely Deb who had also succumbed to the sick bug.  After an excellent lunch, the depleted group pressed on over the heath and marshy land towards Kikelelwa camp. Lynne was sick just before reaching camp, and I too was starting to get a dodgy tummy as we arrived in camp about 6.30pm (a couple of hours behind schedule and shortly before darkness fell).  We had now climbed to 3,700m and it was feeling noticeably colder as the night closed in. Dr Claire had had her work cut out today and was now administering anti-sickness pills to Lynne, myself and various others.  I began to feel a little better as we drifted off to bed at around 9.30pm.   

Day 3 – Monday 20^th September

An overcast start to the day took us on our next hike up towards Mawenzi Tarn.  Halfway up, poor Kirsty was advised to head back down as she had a terrible chest infection and we had an emotional goodbye as she convinced her father Ivie to continue on the trek alone.  The terrain had become more rugged with rocky outcrops from time to time as we climbed higher. By lunchtime we had reached Mawenzi Tarn at 4,300m – our home for the next 2 nights.  Ronnie had been struggling with his breathing on the way up, and his health started to deteriorate rapidly at lunchtime, to the extent where our Doctor could not rule out a possible heart-attack. So poor Ronnie was stretchered back down the mountain and accompanied by Dr Claire.  In the afternoon, the rest of us took a short acclimatisation walk up the spectacular craggy rocks below the Mawenzi peaks to about 4,500m before dropping back down again into camp. As we returned, we were rewarded with fabulous views back over the tarn into camp.  Unfortunately my tent was pitched right next to the mess tent and porters’ tents so I was in for a noisy couple of nights.  It was also bitterly cold, and we sat in the mess tent for dinner with 2 pairs of thermals, 2 socks, woolly hat, gloves, fleece and down jacket – I kept most of this kit on throughout the night!   

Day 4 – Tuesday 21^st September

We awoke to the most beautiful morning with views over towards the majestic Kibo bathed in a glowing warm morning light. It was a beautiful crisp clear morning as we set off for our acclimatisation walk over towards Kibo.  We were rewarded with the incredible panoramic views down over the plains far below in the distance.  We could see far away the rainforest that we had trekked through a few days earlier.   As we trekked over the plain, I began to get stomach cramps again.  I was worried I might be sent down if I let on, but despite trying to make it back to camp undetected, I was violently sick on the way back. I was very fearful that my chances of being allowed to stay were slim, but when Passian the Head guide offered to take my backpack I insisted I was absolutely fine and perfectly fit to carry on, and in my efforts to convince them all was well, I forced myself to have a bit of soup for lunch to prove I was well enough to stay on.  Luckily for me, we had planned to rest in camp that afternoon, in preparation for our ascent to Kibo hut the following day, and to help us preserve our energy for ‘summit night’.  I was also very fortunate to have my own tent, so I was able to throw up in a bowl in the privacy of my own tent all night!  I think Passian thought I had altitude sickness as he mentioned several times that I would feel better at a lower altitude, but whilst I completely respect his many years experience as a mountain guide, I really was absolutely 100% sure that I was not suffering from AMS but had picked up the wretched tummy bug.   

Day 5 – Wednesday 22^nd September

Thankfully, after my busy night, I was feeling a lot better the next day.   As we left Mawenzi camp that morning, we were shocked to see how the water level in the tarn had shrunk to a small pool of dirty stagnant water.  I had started purifying my water despite being assured that the water was being boiled as I didn’t want to take any chances.  We feared that if there was no rain in the next few days they may actually have to close the Rongai route if the tarn ran completely dry. We departed Mawenzi Tarn camp at 8am and began the 5 hour hike over towards Kibo Hut – ‘base-camp’ for our summit expedition later that night.  As we climbed higher, the terrain gave way to high desert with very little vegetation.  We walked past the wreckage of a small plane that had crashed there a couple of years ago, and was now offering tourists a rather morbid detour to see the wrecked pieces scattered over the desert plains. As we reached camp, our ‘helping porters’ were ready for us as usual and had placed our bags in our tents.  They gave our boots and gaiters a good brushing to get rid of the accumulated dust in preparation for the summit climb.  Sadly poor Karen had to turn back at this point – she had been having breathing difficulties and our doctor feared for a pulmonary oedema if she didn’t descend quickly.  We were served a hearty carb-loaded lunch and then rested until our early dinner at 5.30pm.  We then had a final chance to get a few hours sleep in before waking at around 11pm.  We had been split into two separate parties to keep the group sizes more manageable.  Dr Claire had decided not to take part in the summit ascent and Scotty sadly also decided not to do the climb, and so this left us with a group of 18 people out of the original 27. We had strict timings to be ready to depart for the summit climb.  I had on seven layers, and we all donned head-torches, although it was a clear night with a full moon, and we had perfect conditions for our climb.  I did take a couple of precautionary anti-sick pills, but thankfully I was feeling a great deal better by the time we departed (other than an untimely nose-bleed just as we were setting off).

Day 6 – Thursday 23^rd September

I was in the second group of ten to set off just before midnight, and with Passian leading the way, accompanied by six other guides in each group, we plodded up the long volcanic slopes for several hours, with few breaks.  At some point we caught up with the first group and so we combined for a while, until gradually a few people tailed off and were accompanied by one of the guides for safety.  I enjoyed the experience of trekking up under the moonlit sky, and at last we seemed to be going at a decent pace!  We looked back down towards camp and saw hundreds of tiny head-torches snaking up the slope in a zig-zag and we were glad to have got a good early start and not got stuck behind the many other groups now on their way up.  By about 5am we had reached Gillman’s Point at 5,686m, and Jenny was thrilled to announce that this was the fastest ascent yet by a Charity Challenge group.  We stopped for a quick swig of tea here before carrying on around the crater ring on up towards the summit.  It was bitterly cold as we curled around the rim.  My fingers were icy cold, and Passian kindly swapped gloves with me.  Our group started to spread out as everyone decided on their own pace.  The air had started to get very thin – we were above 5,500m now and it was freezing as the wind picked up around the crater rim.  Passian conducted a quick ‘health-check’ before we proceeded further to ensure no one was at risk.  We trekked past the fabulous glacier on the left and up towards the summit as the most beautiful sunrise unfolded before us and dawn broke. 

I arrived at Uhuru Peak (5,895m) shortly before 7am with Passian, Jenny, Gilly, Rudy and Ryan, closely followed by the next few from our group just a couple of minutes behind.  As we neared the summit marker, we saw a few returning early trekkers heading back towards us.  We had reached the trig point and were lucky to snap a quick photo at the famous sign-board before turning around and hurrying back the way we came.  It was very cold, the air was thin at nearly 6,000m altitude and it was important not to hang around.   It may have seemed relatively safe in the morning sun, but sadly many people have died here over the years, and the dangers of this extreme summit were not to be under-estimated.   As we headed back, we saw more of our group arriving, and it was quite an emotional moment as they congratulated us and we wished them luck for reaching the summit.  Our water had completely frozen solid some time ago, despite our best efforts in keeping it warm, and in the thin air we were getting very de-hydrated. 

We re-traced our steps back past Gilman’s Point – now in daylight and busy with trekkers jostling for position.  As we turned the corner to descend to Kibo base-camp, we could see our tents nearly 1,000m down below in the distance.  By 8am the sun was burning down on us and we stripped off a few layers before running down the long scree slopes to Kibo Hut camp.  I made it back into camp at around 9.30am, my face was absolutely burning from the sun, wind and dust.   To minimise the risks of AMS and other altitude-related problems, our plan was to descend another 1,000m and camp further down at Horombo.  We just had time to pack up our kit in our tents and get organised, a quick hearty lunch and then on with the next 1,000m vertical descent!  It was a stunning walk down – back across the wide open high desert plains with magnificent clear views towards Mawenzi.  It was the most perfect day with blue skies and clear air. This time we forked right and skirted around the other side of the majestic volcanic Mawenzi peaks.  The dry air and lack of recent rain meant that we had to put scarves over our mouths to try to limit breathing in the steady stream of dust that kicked up.  Despite the rigours of the day, it was a fairly relaxed hike down to Horombo, with the terrain changing visibly, and as we descended further down we noticed more vegetation and the dusty desert plains giving way to giant green senecios and other high altitude moorland plants.  The route down towards Marangu was absolutely beautiful, and as we arrived into camp at Horombo we had more incredible views over the distant valley floor below. 

It was incredibly hot as we reached camp and our tents were like furnaces!  Our trusty helping porters gave us a warm welcome and greeted us with bowls of hot water for our final ‘washy washy’ on Kilimanjaro to try to get rid of the layers of dust from the days arduous trek.  At 3,700m however, as soon as the sun went down, Horombo camp was freezing cold under the clear skies, and we layered up again for our final night on the mountain.  We enjoyed our last camp dinner in the mess tent, and Jenny briefed us on the plans for the last day which would include the traditional ‘tipping ceremony’ for the guides and porters who had been such a tremendous support to us over the past week.  We headed off for our last night sleep on Mount Kilimanjaro.  With my sick bug finally abating, along with some of my fellow-trekkers I was now suffering from some heavy nose-bleeds – caused by a combination of cold, dusty air and the high altitude.  My supply of tissues was rapidly diminishing, but Rudy came to the rescue and kindly donated me his loo roll!  It had been a big day – a 1,200m ascent and 2,000m descent, and we had reached Kilimanjaro’s summit.  I lay wrapped up in my cosy tent thinking back over the past week – at the amazing scenery we had been lucky enough to see, the friendships we had made along the way, the thrill and emotion of reaching the summit and the tiny snapshot we had seen of the lives of the many local people who work as porters and guides. 

Day 7 – Friday 24^th September

A final breakfast, and our trusty chef ‘Spiderman’ did not disappoint.  A last group get-together in the mess-tent, the last time we would hear shouts of ‘can you pass the ginger tea’ from our fellow-trekkers.  Jenny had worked really hard on sorting out tip envelopes for the various Guides, Assistant Guides, Helping Porters, Chefs and Porters.  There had been an incredible team of over 90 support crew for our group of 27.  It sounds amazing and an embarrassing statistic, but that’s how it works on Kilimanjaro.  I thought back to my visit to Arusha the previous week – to the hundreds of desperately poor children running around in filthy torn clothes, with almost nothing to eat, and I took some comfort in the knowledge that our expedition was at least helping to provide livelihoods for some  people who would otherwise be living in even more extreme poverty.  The tipping ceremony was incredibly humbling and very emotional.  Guides, porters and chefs lined up to be thanked and were handed their small tip.  They all then sang the Kilimanjaro song to us as a final farewell.  It was time for us to pack up camp and head down the last 2,000m to Marangu gate.  Our Kilimanjaro trek was nearing it’s end.  At the Park Gate, Helen, Deb, Ronnie and Kirsty were waiting for us to arrive.  They had sweetly come to welcome us back. 

Saturday 25^th September

Back at the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort Hotel at Marangu, we had a much-needed bath, and although the layers of dust disappeared down the plug, the memories of this extraordinary adventure will remain with us forever. 

Sunday 26^th September

At Heathrow we said our goodbyes to our fellow-trekkers.  I am sitting here in my flat in London now thinking back on the experiences of the past couple of weeks and wondering what everyone is doing now.  Most of us reached Kilimanjaro’s majestic summit, appreciated the breathtaking views from the world’s highest free-standing mountain, raised funds for our charities, made some friendships along the way, experienced the magic of spending a week on Africa’s highest mountain and gained a tiny insight into the lives of some of the local people in Tanzania who find work as porters and guides.  As I type up these last few notes in the comfort of my flat, they will all be at the Park Gates lining up and hoping for work before packing up supplies and beginning another gruelling walk up Kilimanjaro ready to prepare washy washy and bring tea for the next group. 

Kilimanjaro Song

Jambo, Jambo Bwana (Hello, Hello Sir)
Habari gani (How are you?)
Mzuri sana  (Very well)
Wageni, mwakaribishwa (Foreigners, you’re welcome)
Kilimanjaro yetu (to Kilimanjaro)
Hakuna Matata (No worries)

 ******

Thank you to all of our wonderful Guides, Chefs and Porters, to our TL Jenny and our amazing Doctor Claire, and to all of our fellow-trekkers who helped make this incredibly unique experience so special. 

Samantha Kite – September 2010 

In the dry season, this area is particularly arid, impacting the crops and exacerbating the hardships in this poverty-stricken community.  There is a pipeline from a deep well, but limited access points with sometimes water only flowing once every week or fortnight and people walking for many miles to fill their water containers.  Partnering NGOs Wildvision and SIDA are funding a project to increase the depth of the well and extend the pipeline, which will improve the lives of many people.

We called in at the local Resource Centre – this provides a meeting point for the local community to get advice on health issues, collect leaflets and condoms and hold community meetings.  Mama Helen, the ‘Activator’ at the Resource Centre joined us on our visits.  We then visited the Illikshiru group to see one of the Posho Mills – a flour-grinding machine donated by an anonymous donor in the UK.  ACE have taught the local peopel how to produce a special nutritious flour (comprising sorghan, maize, millet, soya) which is used to make a special porridge.  This porridge is given to the many malnourished people and helps them to gain weight and gain strength.   As well as producing flour for their own use, they also sell some at the market, generating income to support at least 20 local children and provide them with basic essentials (soap, sugar, paper for studying etc)

Further on we visited the Matasia group, who were given seeds and a water-tank in February and trained on how to establish a kitchen garden.  They now have several plots growing different types of vegetable: spinach, black nightshade, cowpeas, sukuma (kale), Chinese leaves, tomatoes, pumpkin. The water-tank enables them to irrigate the crops even when no water is flowing from the pipe.  The ACE staff were very encouraged to see the success of the kitchen-garden, which enables them to support 35 OVC and 5 PLWA in the local community. We then visited Doris and her 5 children who also started a small garden in April.  Within 3 months the garden generated an income of TSch 80,000 in its first harvest and helps support 15 OVC and 3 PLWA.

Later on we visited Olive – a 40 year old mother of three.  She was lying on her bed, very weak and emaciated.  She had suffered from TB several years ago, and although now cured, she has been left with very severe chest pains, leaving her feeling weak, nervous and lacking in confidence.  Activator Mama Helen regularly visits Olive, bringing her basic provisions.  Having taken nutritious flour porridge for 2 months, she has gained some strength, but is still very dependent on help.  Anthon asked Salim to help Olive establish a small garden outside her home for her to grow healthy vegetables.  After leaving Olive we visited the local market – a fantastic vibrant scene of colour and activity!  Held twice a week, thousands of local people converge on this big market centre, bringing their own produce to sell, and buying products as well.  Anthon had given Olive Tsch 5,000 to help her and we also took her back some provisions from the market (potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, 2 bags of salt, bananas and a sack of maize) to at least give her and the children a meal that night.

The following day we travelled to Kimniyaki to visit a community living in the mountain foothills, where the climate is quite different to Mateves.  The land is more fertile than the area at Mateves.  However, its location near the main highway to Nairobi contributes to the higher percentage of HIV infected people. We visited several households and noticed that there were generally only women and children around.  Most of the men had gone to Nairobi to try to find work.  Often they contract HIV while away and then infect their wives when they return to Kimniyaki and therefore spreading the virus.

We visited the Emgaretok Espiatais group of 27 women.  When we arrived they were busy making jewellery from beads (a long-standing Maasai tradition).  They make between 10 – 20 bracelets per month and sell these for approx. TSch 1,500 (75p) each.  The community were given a Posho Mill and trained by ACE in the production of nutritious flour, and they have now established this as a business – people can bring their cereals and pay to have them ground into flour.  Since receiving the mill they earn between TSch 1,000 – Tsch 3,000 per day from grinding flour

Margaret, the group leader came with us on a home visit not far away.  We visited the home of Elizabeth – she invited us to sit with her outside her small hut in which she lives with her four children.  Elizabeth joined the group in 2009 following the death of her husband.  There were about 20 children all running around in torn filthy clothes, but they seemed very happy and were playing, using things they had made from pieces of rubbish.  I chatted with one of the children – a young boy called Eric – he attended a local primary school and spoke a few words of English (although the school was currently closed for a holiday). The children were very sweet and always gave us a warm welcome but never asked for anything.

Later on we visited another home – this one housing seven orphaned children – their father had died years ago and their mother just recently – one week ago.  They lived there alone – Maureen the eldest at 16 in charge.  They were very dependent on help from the Activator who arranged for them to be given essential food twice a week.  Again we noticed that there were no men around – Anthon explained that boys aged 18 would generally leave the family home to find work elsewhere and there was no sense of needing or wanting to support their family. The girls did attend school – we asked them what they wanted to do when they grew up and Maureen said she would like to be a nurse. Her 3 elder brothers are in Nairobi looking for work.
After my two days visiting some of these communities, I had had a snapshot of what life is like for the many thousands of people there.  I was shocked by the scale of the poverty, but encouraged by the work that ACE and other NGOs is doing to help improve their lives. As I left Arusha to travel to Moshi to begin my Kilimanjaro trek, I reflected on what I had seen.  It made me more passionate than ever about ACE’s work, and gave my Kili trek much more meaning.

http://samkite.wordpress.com/challenge-3-kilimanjaro/

The ACE runners met for a get-together ahead of the start of the race for a bit of team-limbering up before heading down to the start-line at Hyde Park Corner to join the other 25,000 participants!  It was the most amazing atmosphere, with lots of fun-runners – rumour has it that ACE’s new interim Director Samantha Kite was overtaken on several occasions by a crocodile and a zebra (respect to everyone who took part in those hot fluffy fancy-dress outfits!) and some of our other supporters made it over the finish-line in record-breaking times.  Elena Urderzo took just less than 42 minutes to complete the course and will probably be getting a call from the Italian Olympic committee!  All along the way we were cheered on and encouraged – it was a terrific day and a great personal achievement for everyone.

ACE Africa would like to thank all of our runners and all of their supporters who have kindly sponsored them, helping ACE to raise vital funds to enable us to continue to run our life-transforming programmes to support vulnerable children and AIDS orphans in rural East Africa.

Including GIFT-AID, the ACE 10k runners have helped us raise over £7,000 through your fantastic fundraising efforts!  Thank you again for supporting ACE!

If you are interested in taking part in next years 10k run or would like information on similar events and challenges, please contact us now at event@ace-africa.org !

A few weeks later, early in 2009, the Dwyer family decided to establish a fund in memory of Rosie. She had visited a small Maasai village in East Africa in 2004 and was bowled over by the people there. So they chose a project specifically to fund a craft teacher (plus the necessary craft materials) at a primary school in Western Kenya already supported by ACE Africa. This has become a truly fitting memorial to Rosie, who lived her life in glorious technicolor and was passionate about art.

The teacher is Brenda and she works at the South End Primary School in Bungoma, which provides education to children totally orphaned by HIV/AIDS and left in extremely vulnerable circumstances. ACE Africa provides food, basic educational material and equipment to a number of children within the school, without which their extended families could not afford to send them there.

Since the Rosie Fund was established, the monies donated by the friends and families of the Dwyers have been channelled into this appeal. Furthermore, two close friends of the family hit on the idea of “Running for Rosie” in the London 10k Race, which is held every Summer in central London. Over 50 runners have run for Rosie each year, many of whom set up their own fundraising page online.

As a result, the appeal combined with the proceeds from this sponsorship of the London 10k runners has reached the amazing sum of £50,000.

We at ACE Africa have been extremely moved by the support we have received from the Dwyer family and their friends, through the appeal. The money raised will touch the lives of many orphaned children for years to come. Rosie’s family hope the fund will continue.