Celebrities climbing Kilimanjaro for a cause
Caring4Girls raises money to help rural girls during their menstruation
SIBUSISO VILANE, the first black African to conquer Mount Everest, is leading a group of 35 celebrities and business leaders climbing Mount Kilimanjaro this week for the fourth annual Trek4Mandela.
TV presenters Penny Lebyane and Leanne Manas, with musician Proverb, are among the celebrities participating in the climb.
The expedition, which started on Monday, is in support of the Caring4Girls initiative, which strives to raise money and awareness for girls in rural and poor schools during menstruation.
The group plans to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro on Saturday morning, July 18 – Mandela Day – to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s legacy, ubuntu and selfless service to humanity. They hope to raise R40 million for the initiative.
Among the business leaders climbing are Nelson Mandela Foundation chief executive Sello Hatang, Banking Association of SA senior general manager Fikile Kuhlase, and Richard Mabaso, Imbumba Foundation’s chief executive and founder of Trek4Mandela.
The group is led by Vilane, a seasoned mountaineer and the first black individual to conquer Everest from both sides on his first attempt.
Members of the team travelled to Tanzania to finalise logistics and undertake a walkthrough of the initial route before their climb.
“The people of Tanzania are looking forward to Nelson Mandela Day 2015, and the Kilimanjaro National Park has pledged to mark Madiba’s birthday,” said Hatang, who will be climbing Kilimanjaro for the first time.
The Trek4Mandela website says a young girl could miss up to 50 days of school a year due to menstrual cycle challenges and insufficient access to sanitary hygiene. Caring4Girls aims to combat this.
Over the past two years, Trek4Mandela in conjunction with Caring4Girls has managed to reach the lives of more than 10 000 girls and distribute more than 130 000 packets of much-needed sanitary pads.
Siyabonga Sithole, office and logistics manager at the Imbumba Foundation, said: “We have grown so much since the first climb. Our goal is to support 2.7 million girls by 2020.
“We want to support impoverished young girls to stay in school. There are so many girls dealing with this problem on a daily basis, and to see their joy by making a difference is a humbling experience,” he added.
The vision behind the projects originated with Mabaso, who overheard a fearful conversation between his mother and niece about menstrual challenges. This prompted him to take action and inspire change by creating awareness of these challenges.
Trek4Mandela and Caring4Girls also work alongside the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
“This is an initiative that is close to our hearts and we want to assist and get involved wherever we can to provide better opportunities for girls,” said spokesperson Yase Godlo.
“We want to make a difference, and our ultimate goal is to ensure that girls are given the opportunity to get the full experience of school.
“So far, we have raised enough to support 116 000 girls, but our goal this year is 270 000,” he added.
To support the climbers and contribute to the fundraising efforts, send an SMS with the name of a climber to 42513 to make a pledge of R30. For more information, visit the website at http://trek4mandela.com/