In observance of Women's Day in South Africa on August 9th, a team of fifteen South Africans began a personal challenge—climbing Mount Kilimanjaro as part of the annual Trek4Mandela expedition.
Leading this expedition was renowned South African mountaineer Sibsiso Vilane, who is the first Black African to summit Mount Everest and one of the few adventurers to have reached the peaks of Everest, the North Pole, and the South Pole.
Participants of the Trek4Mandela Expedition
The Trek4Mandela participants, consisting of six individuals from South32, five from IDC, and three independent members, gathered at Marangu Gate to begin the first day of their ascent. The group included representatives from various corporate structures and private mountaineers, including partners of the Imbumba Foundation such as South32 and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
Together, they undertook the climb to raise funds and awareness about the issue of menstrual poverty. This problem causes underprivileged schoolgirls in South Africa to miss between 30 and 50 school days annually due to lack of access to basic hygiene supplies.
Climbing Achievements
The team demonstrated an almost complete success rate in reaching the summit of Africa's highest mountain. Fourteen climbers reached Uhuru Peak, located at an altitude of 5,895 meters above sea level. The fifteenth participant reached Gilman Peak at an altitude of 5,685 meters. Participants noted that the successful outcome was made possible by thorough preparation and individual attention provided by the Trek4Mandela support team.
The Trek4Mandela Mission
Trek4Mandela is the largest annual charitable expedition to Kilimanjaro in South Africa. It takes place every July, around Mandela Day, and in August, around Women's Day, supporting the Caring4Girls program, which aims to ensure that young girls do not miss school during menstruation.
The initiative was founded in 2012 by Richard Mabaso, CEO of the Imbumba Foundation, after learning that his niece faced stigmatization due to a lack of hygiene resources. Since then, the Caring4Girls program has expanded to cover nearly three million beneficiaries in South Africa and neighboring regions. Although August has passed, the impact of the current expedition continues, as the Imbumba Foundation works to distribute supplies in schools across the country before the start of the final academic term.