Jo Thoenes takes on Kilimanjaro

Jo visited the Nasio Trust Day Centre ahead of her climb

Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the highest freestanding mountains in the world.

It's been the ambition of many a climber to conquer its snow capped summit.

Whether as a personal challenge or to raise money for a deserving cause people are always willing to take on the challenge.

The Nasio Trust is about to lead its third expedition up the mountain, and BBC Oxford's Jo Thoenes is to test her endurance too.

"I meet so many people on the show who have returned from adventures and come into the studios to tell us of about them" she explains. "It is incredible to think I will have the chance to experience one such challenge first hand, and eat, sleep and breathe it with other people from Oxfordshire."

And Jo is taking on the mountain for a very special cause.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world

In 2001, just outside Mumias, a village in rural western Kenya, Irene Mudenyo found an abandoned baby in a sugarcane plantation on her farm. The baby, apparently aged 4-6 months, had been left lying in a blanket and must have been there for at least two days.

'Moses' as he was named, planted a seed that led to the birth of the Noah's Ark Day Care Centre. Started in 2001 and located at Mumias in Western Kenya, it provides food, clothing, medical care and welfare for the children in its care.

Another one was started about four years later and named St Irene's Day Care Centre after the woman who found Moses, based on her own farm in the village of Musanda.

Jo went to Snowdon - Wales' highest mountain - to gain climbing experience

Jo went to visit the centres ahead of the climb to better get an understanding of why people felt passionate enough to make the arduous climb.

"Even though these centres are in a fairly isolated area of Kenya, there was this incredible feeling of unity. On the two hour drive from the airport on the shores of Lake Victoria to Mumias where the projects are, the poverty and devastation left by HIV/AIDS was evident.

"Yet the positivity that emanated from the staff and the children was so humbling, the idea of a week of relative discomfort on the mountain seems like the least I could do to help with fund-raising."

At RAF Benson Jo was put through the standard RAF fitness test

Children in Oxfordshire have also been involved in raising money for the centres. Operation Noah's Ark has been set up by the Campus Youth Centre in Berinsfield as a way of connecting the Kenyan orphans and children in this county.

In 2004 and 2005 a group from the youth centre travelled to Kenya and got their hands dirty by working towards the construction and decorating of the centre. They learnt at first hand what it really means to be "hard up", putting their own lives in perspective

Jo will uncover the stories behind the people involved with the charity and find out first hand what it takes to train and climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

"Until now we have been left to our own devices to prepare for the climb. I have been hitting the gym, going horse riding, cycling the Ridgeway - you name it. From June and our first formal training weekend in Snowdonia, it will be a chance for us all to help each other, learn about each other and find out why we have each decided to challenge ourselves for the benefit of these children."

The Story So Far...

JUNE - "I travelled to Snowdon for my first training exercise and to meet the people who will be sharing the climbing experience. There are students and businessmen and we are all different ages and from all sorts of backgrounds. It was great to get started and was the first step to making it all a reality!

Jo was only one sit-up short of passing the RAF fitness test

JULY - "From the hills of Snowdon to the training grounds of RAF Benson! They put me through my paces by setting me the standard RAF fitness test. It was a real eye opener and brought out my competitive streak!

It was definitely a lot tougher than I expected it to be. It's good preparation for Mount Kilimanjaro because it's about the mental side of fitness as well as pacing and challenging yourself and I am looking forward to doing it again just before my climb to see what affect all my training has on my results.

Once I had caught my breath Flight Lieutenant Katie Broomhead revealed that I was one sit-up short of a pass... not bad for a desk bound civvie!

It was my upper body strength that let me down in the end so it's back to the gym for me! If I am going to carry that backpack up the mountain without doing in my back I better hit the weights."

Jo had to mentally prepare to take on the mountain

SEPTEMBER - "There are under four weeks to go until I tackle Mount Kilimanjaro!

In preparation I have been one of the regular walkers with the CSV action desk walks, loading up my rucksack with cans of baked beans and tinned peaches to get used to carrying weight for the hike and I have been hitting the gym with much more regularity since my training session at RAF Benson in July.

At Inspirations Health Club in Didcot, Alan Hunt-Brough has been getting me into shape, not just physically but mentally too. This is an area Alan specialises in so it was time to alter my state of mind...get focused... dim the lights and prepare..."