Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
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In 2013, at the age of 12, her parents paid for a trip to Tanzania where Mitchel began fulfilling her dream by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
With the R95 000 she raised from the climb, she bought and donated 10 bicycles to underprivileged girls at Orange Farm, Joburg and donated R75 000 to ABBA House, a home for abandoned and vulnerable children.
“My aim this time is to donate 20 bicycles, which will cost about R40 000. Hopefully, I’ll get more.”
The money is given to an organisation called Qhubeka (Nguni for carry on, move forward or progress) which is part of the World Bicycle Relief Programme.
The bicycles donated in 2013 went to schoolgirls who previously had to walk about four hours to get to and from school.
Proud mom Anni Summer said Mitchel had wanted to climb Kilimanjaro for her 12th birthday.
“I thought she was joking at first, but she was serious and started doing her research.”
It was through her research that Mitchel learnt people raised money during their mountain climbing adventures which they donated to charity.
That was when her project, 1 Girl, 1 Goal, 7 Summits was born.
Summer had bought a buffalo bicycle for their gardener and through some research, learnt of Qhubeka.
The organisation’s aim is to advance education, health and economic opportunities through the use of bicycles.
One might wonder how a teenage girl could have an interest in mountain climbing.
“In Grade 5 my teacher always spoke about how her husband climbed Kilimanjaro and I became fascinated from then on. And my grandfather also partially climbed Mount Everest,” said Mitchel.
Climbing Everest, the highest peak on Earth, is her ultimate dream; “I want Everest to be my last climb. It will probably be the most special one.”
Mitchel described herself as an adventurous teenager who loves the outdoors.
“I like adventure. It’s beautiful on these mountains and you see the world from a different perspective.”
● See Mitchel’s blog on http:// mitchelwalls. co. za/ index. php/mount-elbrus/