Sixteen ACE employees are hoping to conquer the summit of Africa when they climb all 19,340 feet of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise more than $250,000 for the ISIS Foundation.

The ISIS Foundation is a charitable trust whose mission is to make a positive difference to the lives of children in the developing world, primarily through health and education programs in Nepal and Uganda.

Each member of the expedition has committed to raising at least $10,000 for the ISIS Foundation and many of the climbers have already exceeded this commitment.

ACE plans to to match the money raised by the 16 ACE employees who participate in the climb which is expected to raise more than $250,000 for the ISIS Foundation.

The climb and the cause is the brainchild of Edmina Bradshaw of ACE Ltd. who said: "Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will be an extraordinary personal milestone.

"But the true value of this expedition comes in channelling our efforts into a worthwhile social cause.

"It is extremely gratifying to play a part in the ISIS Foundations' mission to make a positive difference in the lives of children in the developing world."

Chairman and CEO of ACE Ltd. Brian Duperreault said: "This climb and the fund raising efforts around it are a true test of endurance and commitment.

"The climb will require the same qualities which are very important to an effective corporate culture; agility, creativity, ethicality, intelligence and strength. The ACE Group of Companies is proud to contribute to such a worthy cause."

ISIS CEO Audette Exel said the Foundation was delighted and honoured to be the beneficiary of the project and looked forward to supporting the adventurous undertaking.

Ms Exel said: "We are very excited by this project. The funds generated, along with ACE's generosity, will assist us enormously with our projects, and thus help out hundreds of children who are in ver disadvantaged circumstances."

The ISIS Foundation is unique in that it is a research driven, focused organisation which has all its head office administration costs paid by its parent, ISIS Limited, a finance and consultancy business, established for that purpose at the same time as the Foundation in 1999.

ISIS works in partnership with a range of non-Governmental organisations and projects undertaken in Nepal include the building of a school, school hostel and health post in the mountains as well as a range of health and educational projects in both the mountains and Khatmandu.

In Uganda, projects are based at a rural hospital and include HIV/AIDS care, the building, staffing and development of a Neonatal ICU, and community based health care initiatives.

Anyone interested in learning more about the expedition or those who would like to sponsor the charity through this project should contact Simon Albert at Charity College in the UK on simoncharitychallenge.com

On the web: www.isis.bm