^{On May 17th I am hoping (at my age one can never be absolutely certain!) to run a marathon in Uganda, where Chris and I used to live and where three of our children were born. The race will be beside the Nile, where it emerges from Lake Victoria. I am assured that there will not be any hippos or crocodiles on the track, as the water at this point is too fast flowing for them! It will not be hilly, nor will it be excessively hot, but it will start at 7am (dawn),which is far too early for me, and the slower I run the hotter it will get! I am hoping to be sponsored in aid of the Gorilla Organisation.}

There are less than 720 mountain gorillas left in the world and they all live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda & Uganda. Put at its most basic the survival of the gorillas is vital for tourism, which brings in much needed foreign currency and associated jobs in hotels and so on. Saving the gorillas from extinction means saving the rainforest in which they live – and we all know how important that is. In these areas the damage to the forest is done, not so much by loggers as by local people in search of firewood, water & fruits. As well as funding and equipping the rangers who endeavour to protect the gorillas in the National Parks, the Gorilla Organisation is concerned with improving the lives of those who live on the edges of the Parks. An example of this is providing local women with the know-how and materials to build cooking stoves that use 60% less firewood. Another project is growing and planting trees, outside the gorillas’ territory, that will in due course provide wood for local needs. A third promotes gorilla-friendly honey farming. This not only more productive, but prevents the forest trees being damaged by smoking the forest bees off their honey combs. None of the schemes involve Europeans going in & telling Africans what to do. All are run by local people with financial help from the Gorilla Organisation.

I know that lots of people do energetic things for worthy causes. The only thing that is different about me is that I shall be 69 at the time of the race, and 4 years ago I was hospitalized with a slight stroke. If any one would like to sponsor me my fund raising page is www.justgiving.com/charmrobson and if you see me out training, usually with my running mate, Chelsea the dog, give me a wave of encouragement! I would like to assure people any sponsorship money is for the charity and not for my air fare!