Fred and Ash Climb Kilimanjaro

I’ve always been enamoured by maps. After visiting South Africa as a teenager, I became fixated on the continent of Africa. That’s when Mount Kilimanjaro caught my eye; I was intrigued. Even though it’s the highest peak on the continent, it doesn’t have the daunting appearance of mountains like Everest. A part of me always knew I’d get to the top one day – keep reading to find out if I did!

When I first floated the idea of climbing Kilimanjaro to my friend Fred, he suggested using it as an opportunity to fundraise for a charity. It was a no-brainer; an expedition like Kilimanjaro is a privileged experience, and we could use it to benefit more people than just ourselves. Because there were two of us, we felt confident we could raise enough money to make a significant contribution to two charities. I volunteer for a UK-based charity that is close to my heart, so by default, we wanted to fundraise for them. As for the other charity, it was important that we were making an impact in Tanzania (as that’s where we were heading). Despite being a hotspot for tourism in East Africa, Tanzania still identifies as a developing country and faces an array of challenges, particularly in social development. This is something we’re both passionate about, so we set out to find a charity that empowers people in Tanzania. Turns out, the number of charities doing that is endless.

After hours of filtering through the internet, I eventually came across Made With Hope. I was immediately drawn to their ‘Transparency — Made With Hope’ page because that’s not something you see often when making a donation. I was also inspired by Eleanor’s story of wanting to make a difference, so I gave her a call and she told me all about the fantastic work they do with the support of their local partner, Ndoto in Action – Dreams to Reality. I conferred with Fred and we agreed this was a charity we wanted to support.

Initially, our fundraising goal was £1,000 for each charity, but as we got closer to reaching it (with the climb still a while away), we increased it to £2,000 for each charity; we wanted to donate as much as we could. Each donation that came through fuelled our excitement, but nerves as well. We were now not only doing this for ourselves but for Made With Hope as well. A few days before we left for Tanzania, we hit our £4,000 target. That was an achievement in itself, but we were yet to complete the actual climb. I remember stepping onto the plane feeling overwhelmed by the support of our donors. Everyone believed in us, but of course, when you’ve read the occasional horror story about climbing Kilimanjaro, you do think… what if I don’t make it?

Any concerns went out the door once we were greeted by our guide Onesmo at Kilimanjaro Airport. Every question was met with a “hakuna matata” (no worries), a laugh, and a smile. Tanzanians are some of the most warm, welcoming, and personable hosts I have met in all my travels. Our mountain crew of 14 (shoutout to Eco-Africa Climbing) made us feel like family from the moment we met them. And off we all went, to begin our ascent along Kilimanjaro’s Northern Circuit route.

There are no words to describe this experience. I say experience rather than a climb because whilst it is a physical endeavour, existing in the beauty of the national park is completely spiritual. I have never felt more connected to the earth and myself. Hiking through the jungle, moorland, and alpine desert within days of each other, while Kilimanjaro illuminates in the distance, is dreamlike. We chose to do the Northern Circuit as it’s the longest route, which is better for acclimatisation (increasing our chances of reaching the top). Because you hike along the north-facing side of the mountain, we saw the rolling green hills of Kenya down below. I remember saying a gratitude prayer at camp that night because I was so moved by our surroundings that day. If I were to recount every detail of the hike, you’d be reading a lengthy novel, but hopefully, that gives you an idea of what it’s like.

As we got closer and closer to Uhuru Peak (the highest point of the mountain – 5,895 metres), I still had in the back of my mind… what if I don’t make it? The summit night is no easy feat; you

leave camp at midnight and hike up a steep gravel hill for four hours, before another two hours around the rim of the crater to reach the highest point. For full transparency, there were moments I did think I wasn’t going to make it. But whenever those thoughts crossed my mind, I closed my eyes and pictured everyone who believed in us, who I knew were cheering us on, and all the people we fundraised for. I didn’t want to let them down, so I took another footstep. Before I knew it, I saw the sign in front of me that marked Africa’s highest point. I felt every emotion all at once: relief, disbelief, happiness, gratitude, fulfilment (to name a few). Fred and I hugged with tears streaming down our faces, as the sun rose over the clouds down below. I knew this day would come, and I will never forget it.

Of course, what goes up must come down. Although going down was hard on the knees, all nerves had dissipated and we just smiled through our final days in the national park. We knew we were going to miss life on the mountain with our climbing family. I felt comfort knowing the adventure wasn’t entirely over, as Eleanor had arranged for us to visit the schools that Made With Hope funds projects for.

We took a day to recuperate before hopping on a bus to Arusha, where we were met by Hussein, Clarence, and Frank from Ndoto in Action. They took us to a couple of schools that had successfully renovated classrooms, kitchens, and hygiene facilities, and even set up a farm to harvest food for the students. Hussein discussed the importance of finding durable and sustainable solutions, so we were glad to see the donations were going to impactful projects. He also showed us facilities that hadn’t been renovated, as a means of comparison; they were falling apart. It is critical that children learn in safe, adequate environments, as they are key to unlocking a better future for Tanzania. We will continue to support Made With Hope in any way we can, and we hope more people can fundraise for the incredible work they are doing.

As I write this last paragraph, I check the date and realise it’s been exactly a month since we returned home from the trip. In all honesty, it feels like a fever dream. Most days, it doesn’t even cross my mind, but that’s because my reality is so far from the surreal experience it was. I will remember it forever and am filled with gratitude. Thank you to every person who donated and everyone we met along the way. Time to start planning the next adventure!

-Ash D’Souza

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