A minute of beauty

Remember the team of ten women from around the world who climbed three of the highest mountains in Africa in fewer than three weeks to complete the 3 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge in January this year? They raised $295,000 for three projects in Africa, including the School of St Jude.

St Judes greets the climbers

Their great effort was filmed by Serac Adventure Films. The film will be released later in 2007, but you can check out a trailer here.

3 peaks 3 weeks climbers on Mt Kilimanjaro summit

Take time to watch this minute of beauty. Then think about going yourself!

The woes of Kilimanjaro

The fabled glaciers on Tanzania's majestic mountain will soon be gone. Its forests are disappearing, too. For local farmers, this could mean disaster. For the rest of us, it's another permanent loss on an overheating planet.



Here is an insightful news item about the impact of global warming on Kilimanjaro and surrounding districts.

Mt Kilimanjaro is famous for the beauty of its glaciers and snowy cap which is especially remarkable as the mountain is right at the equator.

The article says,

Within the next 15 years, the glaciers atop Kilimanjaro are expected to disappear completely, and with them, some climate experts and government officials fear, a crucial portion of the region's water supply. Over 1 million people who inhabit the lower reaches of Kilimanjaro depend on this water for their crops, livestock and domestic purposes. Conflicts over water shortages have already broken out between water users on the mountain, and some villages have been nearly cut off by their upstream neighbors.

With declining precipitation levels driving glaciers toward extinction and threatening the area's forests, scientists, environmental organizations and even the Tanzanian government are turning their attention to a complex set of questions: How will water resources, and the humans who depend on them, respond if the ice and trees disappear? What will happen as the world's carbon levels continue to rise? For researchers and policymakers, the answers to these questions may be of academic interest or political concern, but for local people they are a matter of survival.

The School of St Jude is in the village of Moshono in Northern Tanzania, near Mt Kilimanjaro. The impact of climate change will affect the whole region.

Your contribution to quality education for bright children from poor families will help to give them a brighter future in these uncertain times.

Climbing Kilimanjaro

On the 28/08/07 a group of energetic Rotarians, one Lion and Friends will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in Africa.


The climbers will be raising money to assist AIDS orphans in Africa and to continue the good work being done by Rotary for the School of St. Jude. The organisers welcome anyone who is interested in climbing or who would like to sponsor the climb. Your assistance will help the three beneficiaries:

* The School of St Jude, Tanzania
* Operation Medical Hope, Hout Bay, Cape Town
* RFFA Rotarians For Fighting AIDS, Orphan Rescue South Africa & Kenya

The climb has an excellent web site and blog where you can keep up to date or leave a comment.

The Rotary Clubs of Coolamon and Forbes Ipomoea from the Riverina of New South Wales, Australia have combined to organise this event and you may contact the two following leaders of the event for further information.

Project Contacts

John Glassford, Rotary Coolamon
email: john (at) glassford.com.au
61 2 6927 6027

Sharon Daishe, Rotary Forbes Ipomoea
email: sharon.daishe (at) rlpb.org.au
61 2 6851 5085



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Three Peaks Challenge

While most of the us are preparing for the Christmas festive period of parties and holidays, 10 women from the USA and Australia will be preparing to become the first climbing party to summit three of Africa's highest mountains (Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Kenya and Mt Meru) in less than 3 weeks.


The challenge is raising money and awareness for the three peak issues affecting Africa today; environment, education and HIV/AIDS.

Project Director Chloe Chick founded the 3 Peaks challenge after time spent at The School of St Jude in 2004.

3 Peaks aims to support and encourage the work of grassroots organisations in Africa who are having a positive and immediate impact on the local community. St Jude's is just that and has provided huge amounts of motivation to get this event established - this is our small way of saying, we truly believe in and support what St Jude's is achieving.

The women are dedicating every spare moment to fundraising, training and getting themselves prepared for the challenge ahead. To date the project has raised over $220,000, but organisers are hoping to crack half a million dollars! The money raised for St Judes will go directly to the construction of the secondary school on the new school block that many have helped to buy.

St Jude's is looking forward to hosting the team and supporters in January and celebrating with them on their return to base camp on Australia Day 2007.