Flight Centre Foundation and Adopt-a-School team complete their Kilimanjaro trek for charity
SANDTON – The team hoped to raise over R1 million to build a new school library.
The Adopt-A-School Foundation in Sandton and the Flight Centre Foundation have completed their climb of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for a school library.
A group of committed individuals took up the challenge of climbing to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise R1.4 million to build a new school library at Qhobosheane Primary school in Soweto.
On 12 March, the team kicked off their journey to Tanzania with many hiccups along the way. The team’s first leg of the climb took them through some lush forest vegetation with the temperature on the ground well into the 30s, which proved to be the biggest challenge of the day.
A member of the team, Diane Cleary of Flight Centre Foundation said day two proved to be far more challenging than their first day with the climbers tackling a 12km hike going up 3 600m. “The biggest challenge is the steady ascent, going from pretty much sea level to
3 600m in two days, a challenge for anyone,” said Cleary.
On the fourth day of their trek, the climbers prepared to summit the peak of Kilimanjaro. After a very early bedtime in the afternoon, the climbers were awoken at about 11pm to begin their final climb.
Of the 14 climbers who embarked on the trip, 11 were able to reach Uhuru Peak at 5 895m. The team had to tackle both physical and mental challenges in their pursuit of reaching the summit.
The Flight Centre Foundation has been involved with a variety of projects focusing on education, however, the biggest part of their work has been focused on Qhobosheane Primary School.
Cleary concluded that it was their belief that education was the only truly sustainable way of improving the socio-economic problems in South Africa, which is why the team embarked on this challenge to fundraise.
The final tally of their fundraising efforts was not yet available but will be updated once it is released.
Details: Adopt-a-School 011 592 6430.
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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/220333/kilimanjaro-trek-to-help-raise-money-for-new-school-library/
