Local woman completes Everest Adventure in aid of Licking Lassa Fever and British Red Cross

Cherry & sister Susie at Tengbosche

Intrepid local woman, Cherry Wright, 64, has returned home after a challenging expedition to Everest base camp. She tackled freezing temperatures and altitude sickness in order to make the journey 17,600ft above sea level.

The trek was completed in order to raise money for Licking Lassa Fever, a project run by  the Wales South region of the Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI). Lassa Fever is a viral disease, carried by rats, which kills thousands of people across west Africa each year.

All monies raised for the Licking Lassa Fever project will be donated to the British Red Cross Community Based Health Project in Sierra Leone, which is providing clean water supplies, latrines and health education, among other things, to local communities in the region.

Cherry Wright, local resident and President of the Soroptimist International Cardiff & District Club, said: “I am convinced that providing potable water, latrines, environmental programmes and seeds to grow food will help decrease the incidence of Lassa Fever as well as other water mediated diseases such as Cholera and malaria. Through the provision of these facilities to local communities in Sierra Leone, the British Red Cross project will be making a very big difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

Cherry at Base-camp

“Climbing to base camp was an extraordinary experience, made even more special by the magnificent scenery surrounding us. However, it was exhausting work. All the training in the gym and on the Malvern Hills didn’t prepare me for the reduction in oxygen and consequent breathlessness. And while I wasn’t expecting luxury, the facilities in the final stages didn’t make completing the climb any easier: The loo was a communal hole in the ground, the communal shower was freezing, and the beds were covered with a duvet and pillow that looked like they hadn’t been washed for a very long time”.

To date, £45,000 has been raised to support the project. However, a further £135,000 is still needed.

“The British Red Cross Community Based Health Project in Sierra Leone aims to improve the health of 68,000 vulnerable people living in 170 communities. However, we urgently need to raise more funds if we are to provide all the communities with the clean water facilities and latrines they need in order to prevent Lassa Fever and other diseases,” said Christine Tokar, programme support manager for Africa at the British Red Cross.

The public is being urged to help the project by making a donation at www.everyclick.com/kayrichmond

ENDS

Notes to editors

1.      Cherry Wright climbed to Everest South Base Camp between 26 March and 12 April 2009. The South Base Camp is located in Nepal at an altitude of 17,600ft (5,360 metres). Photographs are attached.

2.      Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) is one of four federations of Soroptimist International (SI), which is a worldwide organisation for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. For more information, visit www.soroptimist-gbi.co.uk and www.soroptimistinternational.org/

3.      The Cardiff and District Club is a branch of the Wales South Region of SIGBI. For more information, visit http://soroptimist-gbi.co.uk/wales-south/

4.      Licking Lassa Fever is the regional project of the Wales South Region of SIGBI. The Soroptimist International Wales South Health Education and Hygiene Trust (SIWSHEHT), is working in partnership with the Red Cross and the World Health Organisation. Find out more at http://licking-lassa-fever.org.uk/

5.      Lassa Fever is a viral disease that is carried by rats. Infected rats spread the virus by contaminating food and water supplies with their droppings and urine. The disease kills thousands of people in Sierra Leone every year and leaves 30 per cent of those who survive deaf.

6.         The British Red Cross Community Based Health Project in Sierra Leone will improve the health of 68,000 vulnerable people living in 170 communities through the provision of improved water and sanitation, health education and women and child services.

Please leave your comment so we know what you think about this article. Trackback URL: Local woman completes Everest Adventure in aid of Licking Lassa Fever and British Red Cross.