Local News

Seven Nepalese women scale Mt Kilimanjaro in support of girls

A GROUP of seven women from Nepal on Thursday set on a mission to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, after conquering highest peaks on other continents namely Mount Everest is Asia, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia and Mount Elbrus in Europe.

Among supporters of the five-day expedition include the United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) in collaboration with the Moshi-based NGO, Childreach International. Youth activists Ms Ashura Kayupayupa and Ms Anna Philipo Indaya, all from Tanzania, and a South African actress in the famed ‘Isidingo’ soap opera, Ms Hlubi Mboya alias Nandipha are also participating in the all-female team expedition in support of the Nepal climbers.

The Nepal women include Nimdoma Sherpa (21), a former WFP school meals beneficiary who together with her colleagues reached the summit of Mount Everest in 2008. She is currently the wall climbing champion in Nepal. Others are Ms Shailee Basnet (29), Ms Pujan Acharya (28), Ms Perma Diki Sherpa (26), Ms Chunu Shrest (30), Ms Asha Kumar Singh (28) and Ms Maya Gurung (33).

The climbers will also be joined by a crew of film makers, Mr James Gimbrone and Mr Russ Paraseau while Jennifer Kunz will gather news for social media. UN-WFP Representative and Country Director, Mr Richard Ragan likened climbing the mountain to overcoming life challenges. “In Africa and Asia, young women and girls face barriers in education which include early marriages and pregnancies, household chores, shortage of fees and preferential treatment towards boys,” he noted.

Mr Ragan added that all the team members have had to climb their own personal mountains, overcoming challenges to attend school and get where they were today, hoping that their exemplary feat will be emulated by youths worldwide. After their descent from Mount Kilimanjaro, the Nepal women climbers will be visiting schools to motivate students, especially girls, that they too can achieve their dreams.