Kilimanjaro Challenge

Last month, 3 CamKids supporters took on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise money for CamKids. The following is a short report of their adventure.

Our names are John Elsey, Joanne Chiappinelli and Antony Chiappinelli and we have just returned from a trip to Tanzania where we attempted to reach the summit of .

At 19,336 feet (5,895m), snow capped Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak. It is the worlds tallest walkable mountain, which takes you through 5 different climatic zones to reach the summit. The climb is a test of endurance, stamina and shear determination, and a test to see how your body copes with the altitude.

We started the climb on 9th of August 2010 with 'Team Kilimanjaro' and after 5 hard days we all successfully reached the summit at 8am on the 14th August. Our experience finished on the 15th August when we all safely descended back to the start of the national park.

So far we have raised over £1,700 for CamKids. Please check out our JustGiving site: www.justgiving.com/JJA2010.

The Trustees of CamKids would like to thank John, Jo and Antony for their incredible efforts and for raising so much for CamKids. John is also travelling out to Cambodia in January, to volunteer at one of the projects we support. We would also like to wish him good luck and are sure that he will have a great time.

If you are interested in fundraising for CamKids, please visit www.justgiving.com/tccc or send us an email.

Empowering Youth in Cambodia - Education Scholarships

CamKids has been supporting this project, working mainly in the slum communities around the Boeung Kok Lake area in Phnom Penh for over a year now. It is an incredible project providing education, vocational training and other support to vulnerable children and young adults, who would otherwise be susceptible to drugs, sex trafficking or crime.

The following is a short update from Drew, the director of EYC, regarding Education Scholarships for the older children:

Things at the schools are better than ever and we have a lot going on every week. We had a lot of our closest students studying in grade 12 this past year and really got involved with supporting them. We gave them financial support for their studies and they were able to focus on preparing for their final exam. Many did very well, and all passed the exam (about 20% fail country-wide). I created a blog to show the students who want to continue their education now that they finished high school: www.ey-cambodia.blogspot.com.

All of these kids grew up in the slums and have persevered through more than most of us can imagine, yet they are optimistic for their futures. Anything is possible, but I know they have a lot more challenges ahead and I hope we can find funds for them to get scholarships for their first 1-2 years of university. Getting jobs here is very competitive and they need additional education to be able to make informed decisions. They are very committed to their education. I think our program is quite solid to support them and get them off on their own, as we have seen in many cases now.

Our financial situation is bare bones to cover our operating costs, so either we find sponsors or many will not be able to attend. We will ask students to pay a portion of their tuition, but with some it is not possible. After the 2nd year of university they should be able to support themselves, based on what we’re seeing with other students.

Please take a look at the Blog which Drew has compiled, as it includes some incredible stories about kids who have battled appalling conditions and poverty to succeed. If you would like to help sponsor a student (at a cost around £20 per month and upwards) or just support the work of EYC generally, please send an email to: education@camkids.org or set up a regular donation HERE, marking the project "EYC".

Thank you.