Climbing Kilimanjaro for kids

 

Donating money to charities is one thing, but getting involved and experiencing where your money is actually going is so much more.  Would you make the climb of your life for those less fortunate than you?  Hannah Stanton reports

In less than a year’s time, 44 students from Canterbury Christ Church University will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and taking on extreme climates in their efforts to raise money for the charity Childreach International.

Climb Kili 4 Kids is one of Childreach's main events, those taking part will have to raise a minimum £2,450 each in order to secure their place.

Laura Johnson is an 18-year-old in her first year studying education.  “I’m very excited about the challenge,” she says, “although I know it’s going to take a lot of effort to raise the money needed.”

But for Jake Dilley, a team leader at Christ Church, next summer’s climb will be his second. He says: “Last year I climbed Kilimanjaro and this year I have been selected as one of the team leaders. I hope that my previous experience of climbing the mountain will help prepare others for what lies ahead.”

Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania, for those of you who don’t know, and at 19,341 feet above sea level makes it the highest mountain in Africa. A challenge indeed for the 44 keen participants taking part. Hundreds of volunteers take part in the event every year, and because of this Childreach is dedicated in doing everything it can to help support and cater for its participants.

The charity takes care of your flights, transfers, accommodation and trekking costs and also pays for your national park fees, guides, tents and meals. They provide experienced group leaders to help partakers through every step of the challenge.

Joe, a representative for Childreach International and a group leader said: “This is a truly amazing opportunity; I would encourage anyone to take part in this once in a life time experience.”

Childreach raise money to help improve children’s access to healthcare, education, human rights and protection in the developing world. By taking part in this trip of a lifetime, these young, hardworking and enthusiastic students have already made an incredible change to a child’s future. Their positive attitude and commitment is an inspiration to us all.

This charity work not only makes an incredible difference to those less well off, but also changes these young academics as people and hopes to give them a much more positive outlook on the future. The impact the work has definitely given encouragement to those around them.

During the trip to Africa there is the option for participants to extend their stay in Tanzania. After the 44 students complete their climb, they can head straight home if they choose. However, the event has something else up its sleeve. An amazing inadvertent that allows the participants to extend your trip by eight days. This allows them to soak up more of what Africa has to offer, including safari trips and exploring the vast continent.

Nearly anyone can climb Kilimanjaro as it is one of the few mountains in the world where it is possible to reach the summit without any climbing experience. The vast majority of the ascent is walking, with only a short scramble on the final section leading to the summit. Experienced guides lead you all the way and porters help to carry your main baggage up and down the mountain. Therefore anyone can experience ‘The roof of Africa’ for themselves.

The money raised from this event goes towards making sure that children have enough food, clean water and shelter, a good education, a reliable health service and the right to live in a loving environment without fear of abuse or violence. Childreach believes that as a result of the hard work participants put in they get back something in return. This is the experience of climbing a mountain, and the opportunity to explore Africa first hand. This is the final result of the participant’s dedication and energy towards the cause.