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Fundraising Paddle For Tanzania Expedition 2007

DUFFIELD SCENE 2007

Duffield residents Philippa and Martin Grosvenor have teamed up with Mark and Ben Simmons of Belper to canoe 100 miles on the River Wye. The actual canoe expedition will take place in mid June over 3 days with an average of over 30 miles per day. That means 10 hours of paddling each day, a prospect that appears very daunting! The team will camp close to the river during the trip to make the most of daylight hours. The River Wye is one of the few rivers in England where canoeing is permitted as landowners do not allow access on most other waterways. Blistered hands, sore arm muscles and aching backs are likely to be the physical challenges which will be faced.

The team all have experience of outdoor activities but only Philippa has canoed anything like this distance before. Training has been carried out on the Trent and Mersey Canal, just south of Derby, which is ideal because of the still water and easy access. Hopefully the training program, which also includes gym work and heavy gardening, will help to make the expedition less gruelling than it appears to be.

The purpose of the expedition is to raise £2000 to buy a minibus for the Tuishime Nursery and Primary School in Arusha, Tanzania. Philippa and Martin will travel to Tanzania, with their two children Stephanie and Eleanor, to work in the school during the summer holiday. Their friends, Felix and Naomi Masenge, have started a primary school for children who have been orphaned as a result of the AIDS epidemic. The minibus will be used to pick up children from their villages, something that will help their attendance since they all come from very poor backgrounds. It is crucial for the economic future of the children that they remain in education as long as possible; to date the school has been very successful in providing high quality teaching. Besides teaching in the school, the Grosvenors will get to know local people and learn more about how to help the expanding work of the school.

As for the future, there are plans to visit Tanzania regularly for work and to provide training opportunities for young people from England to gain work experience in Tanzania. The team, who are all members of St Alkmunds Church, are committed Christians who are keen to use their skills and energy to help others.

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