Charity sets their sights on the summit

Local founders plan to scale Mt Kilimanjaro

The founders of local charity, Excellent Development, are doing their bit to “make poverty history” by setting off to scale Africa’s highest peak.

Celebrating 21 years of working together this February Simon Maddrell and Joshua Mukusya will hike to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money for Excellent Development's expansion into Tanzania. The 6-day trek will see the pair hiking through rainforest, moorland and the moon-like landscape of the summit, reaching the snow covered 5,895m peak at sunrise on day four.

The origins of Excellent Development can be traced back to 1984 when its founder, Simon Maddrell, met Kenyan farmer Joshua Mukusya. At that time, Joshua had already had many years' experience of dam-building, and organising self-help, educational, health and agricultural projects in his native eastern Kenya.

Simon and Joshua teamed up and together organised a youth expedition to Africa to build dams and water tanks. Further expeditions followed which paid for 140 water tanks and 20 dams.

After a successful tree-planting pilot in 2001, tree planting was added to the charity's activities. In May the following year, Simon founded Excellent Development Limited, supported by its three Directors, Stephen Owen, Chris Pockett and Darren Worsley.

In November 2002, Excellent Development achieved UK Registered Charity Status. Excellent is now running 22 tree nurseries, has planted over 80,000 trees and built 57 dams, as well as 126km of terracing - transforming thousands of lives.

January 4, 2006