First Summit Picture and Reflections

Here is the first photo from the summit on Mt. Kilimanjaro!  The majority of the team made it to the top and each member of the climbing team struggled in their own way to overcome varying obstacles.  Some obstacles were in their control, others were not.  It's as if they had to ask permission to enter the mountain's space and to honor its indifference as to who it allowed to come to the top.  

The journey of the children of South Africa is much like this.  Even before birth, the obstacles are put in their way - HIV/Aids, poor nutrition of the mother while in the womb, violent crime and murder.  If they do make it onto the path of life, obstacles of all types are placed in their way.  They wander unsupervised in the streets of the township.  They struggle to find food and clean water.  If they are girls, they are often raped early on in life.  Often both of their parents are dying or dead from AIDS and their grannies cannot care for them.  This is where we can touch their lives and teach them about a different way through our creche preschools.  This is one of the reasons why the COP Trust was created.  This is why 6 men chose to climb to the top of Kilimanjaro.

 The success of the climb remains yet to be determined.  It is now up to each and every one of you to decide if the journey to the summit for the children of South Africa will be successful.  Quoting climber Mark Strachan, "The final ascent and descent was an exercise in pain and suffering, which for us only lasts a few days. But for the children we are raising money for, their suffering is an every day of their life issue."

Please take time to consider what you can sacrifice today for these children.  So far, generous donations have provided for 17 children to have a provision for another year at the creche.  283 left to go.  How many more children can we help today?

Donations can be made via paypal at  http://www.coptrust.org.za/Getinvolved.aspx or for South Africans through Standard Bank, Westville Branch 045426, Current Account 252502671. 

Ngiyabonga, Hamba kahle

(Zulu:  Thank you, Go well.)

Well done Kili for Kids climbers!

Well done to all of the climbing team who worked so hard on this amazing journey.  We appreciate your determination and dedication to your families and the children of South Africa!!

To Zazz:

a

You made it!!! Excellent!!!
We pray that our Lord will bring you safely home to us. 

All our love and hugs, Carryn Ben and Faith

To Mark:

Dad, we love u and keep praying for u. Mom is so proud of u,
she keeps telling everyone that u made it to the top! Can't wait for Saturday when u get home.
Lots of love, Mikes, Simes and Lulie

To Mat:

Well done, congratulations to the 6 of you.
Now look around - God made it all, He made us too, how amazing!
God bless+love from Dad Mum Ben Bek Tim Jonny and Dan xxxxxxx

To Vernon:

Hi Dad, We are so proud of you!!! We are looking forward to seeing all those pictures of the awesome views. Look after those knees on the way down. God bless you all and love you lots ! 

Amanda Targo Ternay and Blake 

To Jon:

You Rock Dad! From Vanessa, Reuben and Dalton
Awesome Uncle Jon! From Shiloh, Ani and Wyatt

To Cam:

Hi dad.  Its awesome that you could reach the summit of MT Kilimanjaro!
I'm really glad you're okay.  Hope you saw some amazing sites at Kilimanjaro.  I hope you don't get sick on the way down.  we really love you
Hugs and kisses - your daughter analiese
We're so proud of you!
Love, Kim, Shiloh and Wyatt

Summit Day Events

After leaving at sunrise, the team should have arrived at Stella Point (5750m) on the crater rim and had a quick rest. The sun should be shining.  From here they would have continued around the crater rim to Uhuru peak (5895m) the highest point in Africa.  After taking photos and enjoying the view, they should descend along the crater rim back to Stella Point and then down further to Barafu camp where the tents remain from last night.  

Stella Point

As they travel down quickly, they will gasp in more oxygen step by step.  The porters have not traveled to the summit with them, so they will be able to stop at the tents, have a rest and something to eat.  After a good rest and nourishment, they will take off their thick outer clothing and send it with the porter as they prepare to descend the Mweka Route down to 3100 metres.  They should arrive there in the late afternoon, on the edge of the rainforest, exhausted, but exhilarated, ready to camp and celebrate the day's achievements.  

Publicity in South African Afrikaans Newspaper

The Kili for Kids climb has received great press here in South Africa.  Below is a newspaper article that ran in a South African Afrikaans newspaper.

The headline says” Six climb Kilimanjaro to collect food for children”

The bit under the photo says” Mr Dave Oosthuizen and Cam Beeler, an American that is doing welfare/charity work in South Africa, training for their climbing expedition to the highest point on Kilimanjaro this week.”

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, 21 January 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONQUERING KILI FOR KIDS

Six intrepid climbers are set to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania during the first week of February 2010 in a bid to raise R1.2 million for the Community Outreach Programme (COP) Trust. They will be led by businessman David Oosthuizen, a Trustee of COP Trust, and guiding company Wild Frontier.

The COP Trust is an organisation that provides an opportunity for corporates and ordinary South Africans to make a lasting and meaningful difference to the lives of their fellow citizens. Funds raised through the 'Climbing Kili for Kids' initiative will be used to provide education, food, medical attention and supervision for the children that attend the schools, which the COP Trust have built around South Africa, for a minimum of a year.

 Said Oosthuizen, COP Treasurer: "Charities around the world have run “Climbing Kili for Kids” promotions in the past and we saw it as a wonderful project to bring to South Africa.”

Vodacom, Nokia, and Allied Mobile have already pledged their support for the initiative. Vodacom will be donating R100 000 to the project, while Allied Mobile (South Africa's largest handset distributor) and Nokia will each donate R25 000.

Using Nokia handsets, Oosthuizen and the team will be able to report back on their progress all the way up to the summit using social networking platforms, blogs and video uploads. The other climbers include Mark Strachan, Product Manager at Altech UEC. Vernon Dove a successful businessman of baby diaper products. Brothers Cam and Jon Beeler (self-funded climber), USA citizens committed to volunteer work in South Africa developing and working on projects that are managed by the COP Trust including the support of the disadvantaged crèches.

The sixth climber, Mat Collard is a volunteer from the United Kingdom also working for the COP Trust. “I’m really excited about the prospect of climbing Kili as this is a fantastic concept and I hope we get all the support we need”, said Collard.

"Right now, my fellow climbers and I are in hard training in anticipation of the climb. We are really looking forward to summiting the highest point in Africa to show our commitment to the cause of feeding a percentage of our county’s underprivileged children during their school year. We are asking fellow South Africans to support us in the initiative by reaching 1000 people and/or corporates to pledge and commit a R125  or more a month for just 12 months”, concluded Oosthuizen.

To follow the climber’s daily updates up Kilimanjaro, one can do so on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kiliforkids, Facebook: “Kili for Kids” and blog spot: http://klimbingkiliforkids.blogspot.com/.

Further information about the initiative can be found at the above links. Details for people willing to donate, please go to: http://www.coptrust.org.za/GetInvolved.aspx. Simply access the website and donate via the Paypal account.  One may also donate directly through the following bank account: Standard Bank, Westville Branch 045426, Current Account 25250267. 

Midnight Trek to the Summit

As I write this at midnight, the team should be awake and beginning their final ascent.  Mat, Cam and Mark have all struggled with altitude sickness headaches.  It is not known to what extent they are suffering. The extremely cold temperatures are making communications difficult.  We anxiously await to hear from them when they embark on their 5 hour journey to the summit.  


Families and friends around the world are in prayer for their well being.  Vernon's wife, Amanda is concerned that there is no specific news about him.  We all assume that no news is good news.  Jon's wife, Natasha, sits half way around the world in San Diego, California tracking his progress.  She is encouraged when she sees his photo at the start of the morning and receives an afternoon sms/text. Mat's family sends encouraging messages from the U.K. to Cam's cell. It's still unknown if he's actually receiving them.  The South African Kili wives head out to dinner and a movie with friends to take their minds off of the worry.  Comforting words from the Psalms tonight:



For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Psalm 95: 3-7 

Scree (loose shale)

Summit Day is a very long and strenuous day.  They will be served tea and biscuit upon wakening and dress to climb.  They will be climbing scree (loose shale) for approximately 4-5 hours.  The guide will stop frequently to rest and check on his group.  It is very important that they listen to their body and breathing to try to get into a rhythm.  Because of the slowness of their walk, their fingers and toes are likely to get extremely cold- three pairs of socks should be considered for today and two pairs of gloves (inner and warm outer).  The views from the mountain on the way up are spectacular - they gain incredible height (5750m) over a short distance.  


And now, we wait.........

Day 4: Karanga Valley to Barafu Hut- struggle to the summit!

Today the team is walking for approximately 5 hours upwards and across to Barafu Hut (4600 m). They started off feeling energized and the altitude sickness was gone for Mat, Jon, Cam and Mark.  Last night's Karanga Valley campsite was relatively cold and exposed with night frosts.  


The trekkers are now in and out of the Moorland zone and Zone 5 of the Alpine Desert where the altitude is roughly 13,200 to 16,500 feet (4100 to 4600 m).  Blinding glare, high evaporation, and wide daily changes in temperature characterize the alpine desert, which can drop to freezing at night and soar to over 100°F/38 C during the day. Water is scarce, and the zone's thin soils retain little of what does materialize. The kinds of plants that can withstand such harsh conditions run to certain tough everlastings and tussock grasses, along with the curious moss ball, which envelops nodules of soil and rolls about with the breeze. Some of the same animals that visit the moorland appear here, but they're only passing through. The views are stunning, both out over the undulating savannah far below and up toward Kilimanjaro's twin summits, Kibo and Mawenzi (16,896 feet).


Their guide Geoff has told them this will be the most grueling day of their life, much less of the hike!  They must really focus on pacing themselves with their breathing, not to to rush to catch up with anyone and go at their own most comfortable speed.  As we contemplate the struggle that they will endure this day, it brings to mind the whole purpose of this hike - to help those children who are struggling every day of their life in South Africa.

When COPT volunteer Leah Egginton asked the creche children, “What are your goals in life?” these were some of the answers they gave:

Thapelo (age 9): “to buy a car and stop crime in South Africa and buy clothes in my spare time when I'm not working” 

Mpuse (age 3): “to be a doctor and stop people from getting sick” (little Mpuse has been infected with HIV from her birth)

These kids are so young, and have experienced the horrors of crime and sickness like some of us never will.  An older group of children at the Ubuhle Bezwe orphanage, a COPT project in Tembisa, were asked by COPT volunteer Keren Robertson to write a poem during their English classes.  The following day, the students  brought not one poem, but pages of poetry.  After class finished, the girls huddled round her, reciting poems for her to hear. She says, " It was then that I realized what these children had- a need to share their stories, a need to be heard by someone.  Most of them had lost both parents and many to AIDS, and had been abandoned by any remaining family members.  Their life stories contained great tragedy and heartbreak:  abandonment, rape, extreme poverty and disease. While they were grateful to have found a home in the small four room orphanage, their futures were uncertain and all their resources minimal.  They had few adults in their lives who cared to hear about their experiences and even fewer people with the resources to make a difference."


This is where the COP Trust and its volunteers make such a difference with their touch and teach programs.  The community centres that are funded through generous donations make such  an impact in the lives of children who would otherwise go without supervision in the muddy streets of the townships. In our country there are many situations where both parents are forced to work, and still not afford to pay for their children to be cared for. As a result many of these children are either left at home with older siblings or with neighbours. Sadly these children are often not cared for and most receive no stimulation in these important formative years.  The pre-schools and skills centre represents a melding of the efforts of generous corporate investments, foreign volunteers and local community leaders.  The community centres  highly-subsidized pre-school facilities to children selected by local social workers based on their need. They are also a youth centre providing HIV/AIDS education and life skills training for the youth plus free adult skills training to the local community.


So as we consider life's struggles, let us turn our thoughts to the men on Kilimanjaro today, struggling to reach the summit after a long and arduous journey.  Some may succeed, others may have to turn back because the obstacles are too great.  In the end only they can make that choice.  Let us give that same opportunity to the children of South Africa,  to have a chance to set out on that journey they dream of, to the summit that is called Life. 

I Will Keep on Dreaming

-A poem by Mpho

God created me

to have a purpose 

in this life of namhlanje

And my purpose

in this life of today

is to keep on dreaming

dreaming

dreaming

and dreaming until

I reach what I want to be,

and I will shine like a shining naledi

and I will not be fooled by people

who comment caibhedayo

I will keep on dreaming

at the end of it.

I am Dimpho the dreamer.

Viewing the Twitter links to Photos and Maps

If you're having trouble viewing the full photos and waypoint links, right click on the link under the twitter updates and open it in a new window.  Then it will show you the full photo.