INSTEAD of constantly refreshing their social news feeds, a group of Hillcrest girls, attending Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School, have decided to rather focus their attention and energy into helping others.
The five determined teens aim to climb Mt Kilimanjaro to raise funds for LIV Village.
The team of future hikers include Joelle Botha, Rutendo Gora, Julie Moreno, Maria Diedrick and Masibonge Ngcobo. The idea blossomed from Joelle’s desire to empower others.
This isn’t Joelle’s first foray into fund-raising as she embarked on the gruelling 256 km Tankwa Camino Trail with her father, Craig Botha, when she noticed that a few girls at her school were unable to attend school excursions due to financial constraints.
Inspired, she decided to dream even bigger with the project Helping Others LIV. Joelle’s enthusiasm, encouraged by the staff at GHS, inspired others to dream big, take the risk and apply for selection to participate in climbing Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.
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After the final selection process, the five girls were a tightly bonded team, united in spirit by a common goal to help others. They are raising funds to cover their travel expenses, climbing gear, tips for porters as well as other expenses in addition to the fund-raising for LIV Village, which they said will always be the main focus of their project.
LIV Village homes orphaned and vulnerable children in Cottonlands near Verulam and, in keeping with the saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, the homes are built within clusters of eight to 10 houses. Each house mother looks after up to six or eight children.
Helping to transform a nation is what these courageous girls hope to achieve, through their fund-raising and sheer determination to dream big and succeed at the task at hand.The route they will take is the most scenic and allows for maximum acclimatisation to the increased altitude. The recommended time for the Machame Route is typically six to seven days.
The journey will be difficult, and fund-raising will be an incredibly important factor in the success of the journey. Joelle said, “We see the challenge of this climb as our way of overcoming the obstacles in the lives of the kids at LIV Village. It’s our way of giving back and being the light and inspiration to those who face struggles on a daily basis. We feel it’s important to be able to dream and we want to show others that with the right motivation and support, you can do anything you put your heart to.”
Help fund-raiser reach its peak: To make a donation, contact Michele Mayer on 082 934 6940 or e-mail michele@worksmartpa.co.za. The local fund-raiser dinner will be held at Platzz, 40 Old Main Road in Hillcrest on Thursday, 11 October from 6pm. Tickets are R395 each and include a three-course meal. To book, e-mail heidi@hcvirtualpa.co.za.
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