[The SAVE THE CHILDREN Climbers and their Guides at 11,600 feet on Mt Kilimanjaro. Pearl Jam's bassist, Jeff Ament, is seen on left wearing a sleeveless grey t-shirt.]
March 5: Derek Ward hasn’t even climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro – our climbers’ six-day trek begins Saturday – and yet he already knows he’ll be returning to Africa again soon. This week, while touring Save the Children’s HIV/AIDS community mobilization programs in rural Malawi, he learned that he and his companion were offered year-long positions at Zambia’s Infectious Disease Center, where they will work on HIV/AIDS-related programs. That news was just one of the memorable events of the week that he’s savoring. Seeing entire communities rally to the care and support of children and families struggling against HIV/AIDS was another. “It’s very sad, but at the same time very exciting. It’s amazing to see how much they are doing with so few resources,” he said. And he’s been overwhelmed by the response his participation on the Climb for Children has attracted from his hometown of Aspen, Colorado. There, people ranging from one of his grade-school teachers to children at a church who designed and sold Valentines Day cards have made gifts to Save the Children in his name. “I’m just incredibly, incredibly thankful and hope that they know their support is going to help make a direct impact for children.”

March 8: Having spent Saturday and Sunday trekking through and up forest and spectacular alpine meadows in perfect hiking weather, climbers today reached camp at 13,000 feet on Mt. Kilimanjaro’s western slope. While awed by the views below and above them, they also felt the first real tug of the ascent on their legs. “Everybody got the feeling that the real journey just does begin now,” Pandora Andre-Beatty said Sunday. “But the group is in great shape and we’ve all been touched in a way we’ve never been before by what we saw in Malawi.” Steve Kelley, the Seattle Times sports columnist making his second climb, said the anticipation and excitement he feels every morning are like the nervous excitement athletes experience before a big game. Tuesday’s climb will bring the group to the Lava Tower, a massive lava spire from which their route to the summit will be in view.

More Interesting News Articles That Totally Fascinated Me Today

On Job Front, 'Recovery' Meaningless"
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
by Jay Bookman
Notably missing from the president's description of why "we're doing so good here in America" is any mention of jobs. Yes, the stock market is up, as are corporate profits. If you work on Wall Street, these are indeed good times. But to most Americans, the primary function of an economy is not to drive up stocks, but to put people to work so they can support themselves and their families and contribute to their country. By that very human measure, a jobless recovery is not a recovery at all.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0308-05.htm

Back To Vietnam
THE NATION
by Tom Hayden
http://alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18052

Some Billionaires And Many Workers
COMMON DREAMS
by Seth Sandronsky
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0308-10.htm

Bush Ads Exploit Tragedy Of 9/11
MADISON CAPITAL TIMES
Editorial
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0306-03.htm