Friday. Six days and still my left knee protests. Well, I suppose it could have been worse, after all it has been a while since I have tramped 22 miles (26 if you count the subterranean scurry that is travelling by Tube).
On Sat 9 July 2011, thirty four hardy individuals and a whimpering me made the twenty two mile walk from Richmond in Surrey along Old Father Thames to Tower Bridge. Scouts, Guides, leaders, parents, friends and members of Tanzania 2012 International Scout & Guide Expedition surged forth along the river path to raise money for Project: Itete. They are pledged to raise £30,000 by August 2012. 
£30,000 is an amazing amount; £30,000, along with the additional funds being raised by the African Space Trust will get Itete Medical Centre (or Dispensary, to give the local term) built by next summer.
Drawn from across the south east of England and led by Julian Sore, a man with several successful African expeditions under his belt already, the Scouts & Guides raise the money over a period of two years and complete a variety of training weekends and sponsorship events before embarking on an expedition to the location of the project they are supporting.
After successfully completing projects in Uganda and Zambia, Julian was introduced to Project: Itete by a mutual friend. After an initial recce at the end of last year, he reported back to the potential expedition members who decided by popular vote that Itete should receive their support.
So, in July and August 2012 the group will fly to Dar es Salaam and drive west, out of the city, across the coastal plains, past the Uluguru and Udzungwa Mountains to the Kilombero Valley and the village of Itete, located between the long grass of the valley and the green of the miombo uplands. There they will become part of village life, employed in the final stages of the medical centre, financed in part through their efforts during the previous eighteen months. It will be a time of hard work, of forests, of journeys never forgotten, of savanna nights and of memorable achievement. It will be a time never to be forgotten.
But for Saturday, our environment was the Thames at its most splendid. With the strength of the summer sun tempered by broken cloud, a soft breeze and the trees in full leaf, it was a pleasure to stride out, taking each bridge one by one. The talk was of Africa and even the cyclists and joggers didn’t seem to mind to much as their route was obstructed by a daunting number of toggles. The river did seem to mock us, flowing so easily by our side; but at least we didn’t turn round halfway through (blaming it on the tide). Lunch was taken and the glamourous location of that famous burger joint on the Wandsworth roundabout. Although the rest was appreciated, as we rose after a break of thirty minutes, my body took the opportunity to grumble, waking wounds that had slept many a year and generally showing a disturbing weakness.
Happily, the strength of the group propelled us all forward and soon the bridges came with ever increasing regularity: Battersea, Chelsea, Albert and on into Westminster. The crowds swelled; where we had once had few companions, now we were among thousands. For one glorious (hallucinogenic) moment I thought the people had turned out to mark our triumph; I was wrong. Still, nothing could dampen the feeling of triumph prompted by the sight of Tower Bridge coming into view; it was almost enough to make me feel my knees again. But I must confess that I ducked out of the final 50 metre dash to be the first to touch the bastions of the bridge. I had done quite enough.
Why was I there? Well, ever unable to resist a potential adventure, when Julian invited me to join the walk, my mouth had accepted the invitation before my brain understood the consequences. But it was worth it: the sun shone; I met a great bunch of guys, with whom I will be very happy to travel to Itete and, even better, I was presented, on behalf of the Trust, with a cheque for £2,500.00. 
As I write, the digital dominoes of the international money transfer system are falling into place. Within a few days, Father Chahali, the Project Manager in Itete, will have more shillingis with which to pay his workforce and to buy the cement and steel reinforcements he needs.
The Swahili say chip by chip the log is cut; we say, brick by brick the walls are built.
