Prepare to climb that mountain
With Women’s Month drawing to an end, POST highlights those who have and are striving to make a difference in the lives of others.
ACHATSWORTH businesswoman who will attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro’s highest peak, Uhuru, hopes to empower and inspire youth and women to get involved with outdoor activities.
She also hopes to garner sponsors for her 2018 Takkie charity campaign and create awareness about the daily struggles of those living in poverty, unable to afford the bare necessities.
Varsha Reddy, 45, of Umhlatuzana Township, will head for Tanzania on Tuesday with three friends who call themselves Utsaha (strength of will), to start the six-day trek on Thursday.
Reddy, the managing director of Access Advertising, said she was passionate about charity and empowering youth and women to aim for a bright future despite their challenges.
“When I decided to embark on this new journey, I realised one of the most priceless possessions for the trek was the footwear that was required. I decided to raise funds towards my campaign to provide takkies for the underprivileged to engage in outdoor and sporting activities in comfort,” said Reddy.
“I approached my network of corporate businesses and the public through word of mouth and social media to support the campaign and we have since raised 145 pairs of takkies and cash donations towards purchasing more. We will hand over the takkies to our adopted charity homes and various women’s groups interested in sports.”
Reddy said she had trained for seven months in preparation for her trek.
“It was a gruelling and strenuous process with an intense gym regime. I also went on hikes and did a lot of walking for strengthening. Although the training did take a toll on my body, the transformation was excellent. I garnered immense knowledge about nutrition, eating right and leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle.”
Reddy said she had struggled with poverty while growing up and was determined to someday make a contribution to uplift and support her community and family.
“I did not have the opportunity to further my education after completing matric, but was drawn to the world of business. At the age of 16, I decided to start working to help support my family and sold ice-cream and ice lollies even in winter. This allowed me to gain experiences and skills. As years passed, I looked for jobs in sales and eventually entered the world of telecommunications, which expanded my skills in the field.
“At 30, I decided to open my own business with start-up funding of R3 000, which was given to me by my parents. They played a pivotal role in my life and nurtured me to continue to seek success. I have managed to successfully grow my business and this year notes 15 years of success and experiences.”
The mother of two said every success story involved a person one day finding her “tribe”.
“My community and networking play a massive role in my development as my skills and talents are nurtured. I can proudly say that it is the community that gives me the opportunity to grow with and alongside others. The support has allowed me to be challenged, to see what is possible and to continue growing upward.”
Reddy said her goal was to inspire youth to be driven and be goal-orientated for future success.
“I believe you live your life and you write your own book with twists and turns in each chapter. Never apologise for the edits you wish you could have made.”