Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2015: Hello everyone! When I was in the 5th grade, my mom organized a charity climb up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for a local non-profit organization based in Central Oregon. I was fortunate enough to travel to Tanzania and climb part way up Mount Kilimanjaro before I had to return to the base because of my young age. Ever since this incredible experience, I have had the desire to return to Kili and summit it. However, I want to make this climb more than just an athletic endeavor; I want turn it into project in which I can create social change. I was recently at Brown University for the Leadership Institute, in which I took a course in Leadership in Global Health. The final project in this program is to create an “Action Plan”, which is a way for the students in the program to apply what they learned during their time at Brown to develop an effective Action Plan that will focus on creating social change within a pressing issue that they are passionate about. When I arrived at Brown, I already had a few general ideas of what I knew I wanted to do for my Action Plan. I knew that I wanted to organize a charity climb up Mount Kilimanjaro and I knew that I wanted to find a trustworthy organization based in Africa to donate the money raised to. When I was doing my research on potential organizations to partner with, I came across SHE (Sustainable Health Enterprises) and fell in love with their work and ideas. SHE recognized the need for equal education opportunities for girls and women in Rwanda and found that one obstacle that has been overlooked for far too long is access to feminine hygiene products. This issue is important because many female students opt to miss school every month during their cycle rather than face humiliation in the classroom. So, SHE is helping women jumpstart social businesses to manufacture and distribute affordable menstrual pads made out of banana fibers. I appreciate how SHE isn’t just providing temporary aid, but rather creating entrepreneurs and a much more sustainable solution to the problems that women in sub-Saharan Africa face when trying to receive equal education opportunities. I have contacted SHE to see if they would like to partner with me for this charity climb and I am still waiting for a response. If it does not work out with SHE, I have two amazing backup organizations! For more information about SHE, please check out their amazing website! sheinnovates So, I have decided that I want to organize my own charity climb up Mount Kilimanjaro and donate the money raised to SHE’s incredible work. I expect to have around 10-12 climbers and each climber is aiming to raise a minimum of $5000. For the actual climb, we will be doing it with the Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience. This is the same group that we climbed with back in 2007. Simon Mtuy, the founder and director of Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience, is an incredible leader, athlete, and advocate. I have an immense amount of respect for him and his work and this is why I want to use his company for the climb. Furthermore, my family’s past experience climbing mount Kilimanjaro with Simon was to say the least, amazing. The SENE team is educated, kind, helpful, and supportive. Everyone in the climbing group becomes a family, enjoys wonderful, freshly cooked meals in a huge tent together, dances and sings at the end of each climbing day, is looked out for by the guides and porters, and is able to soak in the beauty of the climb. If you want more information about SENE, please take a look at this link! nomadicexperience/karibu-welcome/ We will be doing the Lemosho Route, which is the same spectacular route I did back in 5th grade. The time spent with SENE will begin on June 16th and will last 11 days/10 nights, with 8 of those days spent on the mountain. I will attach the Lemosho Route Itinerary here: nomadicexperience/adventures/lemosho-route/ So, consider this your official invitation to join me on the climb of a lifetime or the opportunity to contribute to an amazing cause! I look forward to hearing from you, Bella
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 19:44:47 +0000