A Simple Gift to Africa for the Children of the Slum

A TRIP TO NAIROBBERY      By Kevin Francis

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time in one of Africa’s most dangerous cities, Nairobi, Kenya. It has been given the nickname ‘Nairobbery’ for its terrible reputation of robbery and malicious acts of crime, in the cities core, especially towards tourists. After having a life changing volunteer experience in India (2010), I decided to start a volunteer company to call my own. I set out to spend most of this year in Africa and have made an attempt on this trip to tie in travel with work and build my company while still getting to see the world.

As I was travelling my way through Rwanda, and into Uganda, I was contacted by several NGO’s in Kenya that claimed to be in desperate need of a volunteer placement company such as my own. I must have received at least a dozen emails all from needy NGOs and it was a difficult decision for me who was worthy of such a partnership. One of the most important aspects to ensure I can offer others worthwhile volunteering opportunities is in the selection process. Thousands of NGOs are set up all over world and while some serve their purpose, others seem to have various problems in raising funds and allocating them in the manner they promise. Since February of 2010, I have met with over 50 non-governmental organizations along my travels and have seen some great projects but also some doomed for failure. Selecting legitimate and genuine NGO’s is always on the top of my priority list. Before getting to Kenya, I began corresponding with a few small organizations out of Nairobi that seemed to be in desire need of my help. I was almost immediately drawn to one of the organizations in particular, which was created and directed by a man named Victor Ochieng. His organization was fairly new, small and in need of all the help they could get. I liked what he had started in Kenya and also his vision for helping those in desperate need. I could feel that he had a big heart, a big vision and was devoted to ensure the people who were suffering from malnutrition, HIV/Aids, orphaned, or given no means to education would all be helped. After conversing back and forth through emails, we made arrangements to meet and discuss the possibility of partnering once I made my way to his home in Nairobi. I expected very little from him but was pleased to be on the receiving end of his generosity before we even arrived. He put my girlfriend and I up in a home stay with a priest friend of his in the city at no cost. It was more than I could have ever expected and was looking forward to working together with his dreams and vision for the people of Kenya in the future.

I spent close to a week in Nairobi visiting his projects, his office, learning about his contributions to society, his vision and also his financial problems. He was younger than I and it wasn’t long before he revealed to me the story of his struggles as how he was orphaned at a young age. He spoke of hard times growing up and the fact that he wanted nothing more that to get involved in humanitarian work and to start his very own NGO which was inspiring to me. Unfortunately, Victor’s story was not the first one of his kind that I had heard on my journey across Africa. Sadly enough, I can’t even count on two hands the number of young Africans I have met with no parents. Because of such a high presence of HIV/Aids, malaria, malnutrition and suffering, the life expectancy of many countries in Africa has dipped below an astonishing 40 years. With such a low life expectancy in African countries, parents often parish before their children even become adults. Quite often other family members such as aunts, uncles, brothers, or sisters or even grandparents are called upon to continue caring for the child. If a child has no other family member to care for him or her, THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GO INTO THE COLD HARD WORLD ON THEIR OWN. In many cases not just in Africa, but also in other poor countries in the world, these children often are picked up by a boss like figure and forced into child labor, trafficking, drug trade or begin working on the streets begging, stealing, or finding any means to ensure their own survival.

So many people in Africa have never been given the chance to go to school, have no access to family planning or contraceptives, and don’t see the harm in having large families. The typical African family can have as many as 6 -10 children in the hopes that they may help contribute to their families income once they grow of age. Being HIV+ in Africa is still deeply misunderstood and frowned upon by most of the continent. In a lot of cases, both men and women refuse to get tested. With them testing positive, this usually means them losing their jobs and maybe their only source of income to feed their family. EVERYDAY LIFE FOR MOST IN AFRICA.. IS A STRUGGLE. HIV/Aids is a growing epidemic that has been affecting Africans at an alarming rate and even though the numbers are decreasing in some countries, the problem still lingers in others. If Africans refuse to get tested, and keep having many children, there often will come a time in their lives where they can’t afford to feed their families or care for their young. It is not all that uncommon for children like Victor to continue on their own. And so, this is just one of the many problems that have and still continue to affect Africa even today.

One of the projects we visited was deep inside the heart of one of the major slum areas in Nairobi. The biggest slum of Africa is in Nairobi known as Kibera. The name of the area we went to is called Kwangware and is a prime example of the deep dark side of the African slum life that exists across the continent. Most people living in these environments, not just in Africa, but worldwide have no access to running water, no electricity, no radios or televisions, no stoves, or even utensils or plates to eat with. The slums are areas where no sanitation exists and most of the shanty tin homes are built on garbage dumps or forgotten waste sewage lands of the city. To try and paint a vivid picture, these people literally live on a never-ending mound of garbage and the only water that runs through their areas is often a yellowish brown color, filled with urine or feces and reeks of an unbearable smell. The only garbage collection program they have in the slums consists of sweeping it into a large pile every evening and burning it when it gets too large. During the day, the domesticated animals that roam Africa such as dogs, cats, sheep, and goats spend most of their days sifting through heaps of garbage in hopes of finding leftovers that might partially fill the empty void in their stomachs. Somehow, someway, when you wander through these neighborhoods the people still seem as full of life as any civilized wealthy individual living in a luxurious home. Smiles and welcoming gestures are easy to come by here and giving a child an empty water bottle or an old t-shirt off your back could very well be the best present they’ve ever been given in their lives. Life here is as hard for these people as any foreigner could imagine living in a developed world. Life for these people is just not fair and even their own government has left them starving and given no rights or even citizenship.

We took one step off the main road of civilization, dipped into a small alley way and we had entered the Kwangware slums. It doesn’t take much time before you walk up and down the muddy and slippery paths that you begin to realize how little these people really do have. As we wandered deeper and deeper into the slum, Victor assured us that this ‘special school’ was just ahead. We approached a building not much larger than any of the homes that was beside a massive mound of garbage. The building was a make shift school primarily composed of spare scraps of tin for the walls and roof, mangled pieces of decayed wood for the tables, and gravel for the floor. The walls looked to be pieced together by hundreds of small sections of tin attached to pillars of wood (that stood as the structure) by a few rusty nails and string. The first thing I noticed once we entered the building is that there was no sign of electricity within miles of where we were. AN OLDER LOOKING LADY GREETED US BY SHAKING OUR HANDS AND WELCOMED US WITH A SMALL SMILE AND SINCERE LOOK OF THANKFULNESS. As we entered the rather dark space, we quickly drew the attention of the children and they set their little beady gaze upon us. I suddenly felt overwhelmed with a feeling of sorrow and empathy for these children. Victor introduced us to the class and I greeted the children with as much of my open heart as I could. Right away, I saw the desperation on their faces and saw the smallest glimmer of hope in their eyes that life might just get better for them someday. Inside this small tin building were three other teachers but unfortunately none of them spoke a word of English, which made communication very difficult. By using Victor as a translator, the teacher told us this was the only school these children went to and the school was doing everything they could to distribute at least one meal a day for them as it could easily be their only one. The head teacher pointed to a table in the corner of the room. On top of it were a dozen or so plastic cups or varying colors and some bowls. She went on to tell us that there were not enough cups for every child so they had to take turns using the glasses and bowls to eat their food. I could tell that their school was in desperate need of help and only a few of the children in the room were wearing anything that might have resembled a school uniform.

Before I was about to leave, I asked our translator to ask the children if there was anything else they wanted to ask me before I went and one little girl quickly raised her arm and said in the sweetest and most gentle voice imaginable "can you help to get us uniforms?" Her plea stunned me and instantly struck a soft chord in my heart. Right then and there I knew I had to do something for them. My reply back to her was "I’ll do the best I can to help you." I’m sure my reply was seen as an empty promise as the people in the slums are the forgotten part of society and not used to handouts from anyone. Once we left, a little voice in my head began brainstorming ways that I could contribute. The soft and gentle plea of the little girl kept playing in my head over and over again. That evening, I phoned Victor and told him I had some great news. MY ANNOUNCEMENT WAS THAT ON BEHALF OF PROJECT VOLUNTEER ABROAD, I WANTED TO MAKE A DONATION TO HIS PROJECT BY BUYING EVERY CHILD AT THE SCHOOL A NICE NEW UNIFORM.

The moment brought me back to when I was volunteering on a project in India at an outdoor school that was set up in a park for children from the slum areas and kids from the streets. The director had gone into slum areas like these and devoted her life to create the school to ensure the children there received some sort of education in hopes it will break the cycle of poverty. Working with this lady was an absolute privilege and sometimes she spoke to me of how difficult it can be to convince the parents to allow her to take her children away to provide education for them. Most of the time she would have no other choice but to beg and plea with the parents and explain that school was the future for their success. At first, most of the parents would oppose to the idea as they often use their children to help with tasks at the home or in the village. If she took their children away for the day then she would be taking away their workers and the parents would have to do everything on their own. She explained this harsh reality that not all the children stay in school because their parents often demand they stay at home to help them. It is the cycle of poverty that continues to happen all over the world and it seems that the best way to break the cycle is to educate these children so that they can discover a skill that will help break them free from the slums. If so many of these so called ‘slum kids’ are not given the right to education or have it swept right out from under them, then they will go on living un-educated, have many kids of their own, and their kids wont receive any education. If their children are not educated, they will have more kids and the cycle will continue on as it has been for so many years in so many poor areas of our world.

The uniforms that were donated to this slum school on behalf of Project Volunteer Abroad was done so not for a pat on the back or any recognition, but more to help these children feel like they really belong. By having a uniform to call their very own, it will give them a place and purpose in continuing to be educated. My hope is that it will prove to their parents that they are privileged, have been invested in, and are obligated to continue to go to school everyday. My wish is that they can walk through the slums or the cities and wear them proudly.

A few of the local women from the slums were employed to make the uniforms and it took about one week after my phone call to finish them. I was notified upon completion, and so I returned back to the school and presented each child with his or her very own uniform. It was a beautiful experience to deliver their gifts and the majority of the kids had a look of astonishment on their face closely resembling that of surprise and seemed a bit stunned as to why they were receiving such a gift. A few of the children dawned a little smile and that was enough for me to see they appreciated finding a new found place in our world. Before leaving, I encouraged Victor to explain to the children that these uniforms are a gift. By receiving them, it meant that they had to come to school every day and tell their parents it was no longer a choice, but a new found obligation.

If you wish to volunteer and give back to a country in the world that needs you, please visit our website at: www.volunteerswithoutborders.ca to find out how you can help. As the President and Founder of Project Volunteer Abroad, I am happy to announce that we now offer various placements in 15 different countries and we encourage you to tell others about the opportunity and to share this article with them. To get involved, it does not require any skill or previous experience and is available to anyone. Please join the movement and volunteer with us today!

Ethiopia:

The land of people with extreme egos and who refused to be colonized

              If you ever decide to come to Ethiopia, you will most likely spend a few days in the Capital city of Addis Ababa. It is the only place where you can fly into or out of on an international flight and it is a typical yet very interesting African city to say the least. Addis Ababa is a sprawling high altitude settlement resembling a vast rusty roofed village scattered over many hills. It is over 100 years old but has a look of timeless decay. Good from far but far from good, Addis is unsuspecting from a distance, but up close it is dirty, dusty and falling apart in more ways than one. Stinking horribly of unwashed homeless people, sick animals, creepy people everywhere, walls reeking of urine, and every alley blocked with garbage.  Overwhelming to say the least, we found it hard to find any reason to recommend this city to others as it lacks any serious charm. Loud music, car horns, diesel fumes, and pestering urchins yelling “farangi” (white man) with sad stories and insinuating fingers and dire warnings such as “Be careful where you go as there are bad people here”. 

       

         One of the things that you will most likely encounter on your journey to Ethiopia is a run in with their national food.  For the typical Ethiopian, Injera is a staple food that is consumed everyday from childbirth till the day they die. Most of the people in this country are very religious and have great pride. They believe that they are the soul of religion in Africa and the originators of African existence. During certain times of the year, most Ethiopians take part in a month long fast to show their devotion to their religion. During this time, Ethiopians drink no milk, consume no meat or fish and they eat only “fasting food”. In short, this consists of mashed vegetables mounded on injera, which is a layer of grey spongy bread made from fermented grain and spread over a large platter. “Like a crepe or a pancake”, people say but no: it is a cool, moist, and rubbery, less like a crepe than an old damp bathmat. Spicy sauces called wot are placed on the injera at intervals, with pulped beans, lentils, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, or, in non fasting months, fish or meat.  Every traveler who comes here must experience the wonder of such local food as injera, but will be reassured that pasta and sauce or other western foods are also usually available in most restaurants in the country.

            Another unique aspect of Ethiopian culture is their music and their juice and coffee. The music is a high-pitched shriek like squeal of clapping, dancing, and accordion like sounds. The dancing has to be some of the most bizarre moves on our planet and the most common movements you will see is the man spastically vibrating their shoulders while dancing on one leg as if they are having a seizure, and the women dancers are often seen wearing a garment like a bath rob and jumping up and down while thrusting their chest in the air and twitching their necks. We thought it would be a nice souvenir to bring back a music video DVD just to show others back home just how wild and wooly an African dance can get. On the other hand, Ethiopian coffee is the heart or focal point of this country. Renouned as having the worlds best coffee, once you drink a cup, it will leave you begging for more. Part of the reason it is so good is that coffee production originated right here in Ethiopia. They are the master minds behind the ever so delicious roasted coffee beans that people all over the world take time to enjoy. To add to the specialty, during the late 19^th century the country was run over by Italians and they left a legacy with their own twist.  Whither its Traditional coffee made fresh for you in a coffee ceremony, or a macchiato brewed fresh from an espresso machine, you might quickly find your taste buds craving for more with each passing day.  To come to Ethiopia and not get to experience “the juice” would be a shameful disappointment. The juice is often available at cafes and comes mostly in the flavors of orange, mango, guava, avocado, or pineapple. What you will find is most locals or people in these cafes are ordering a “mix” of all the flavors available and it is a total mouth watering spectacle that is an absolute must.

So there you have it! The bare bones of Ethiopia in a nutshell. I would never discourage anyone from coming here but I would only recommend it to experienced travelers who want to get a taste of the real, the raw, and the gritty side of the struggle within the African way of life and their culture. The harshness and overbearing characteristic of many of the local people here in this country will most likely leave the inexperienced travelers pleading to jump back on a plane back to their home country. For the majority of travelers that want to experience Africa I’d probably recommend the other 12 countries I’ve spent time in before recommending this one, as they are a lot less overbearing and more rewarding.

Kilimanjaro: Piece of Cake

TREKKING TO THE ROOF OF AFRICA

WITH KELVIN FRANCIS AND TELLA TEMPLETON

            Most seasoned trekkers would agree that Kilimanjaro is one of the most famous mountain hikes you could do on our planet. Standing tall at an impressive 5,895 m Kilimanjaro earns the title as being the official Roof of Africa. It is the highest peak in Africa, and one of the highest volcanoes in the world. It is also one of the few summits in the world, which can be reached without ropes, or any kind of technical assistance. To make it to the summit requires you to be in the best physical shape possible, even then there is no guarantee that you will have what it takes to make it to the top. In the past, even some extremely fit individuals have succumbed to the effects of altitude, and were unable to achieve their goal, and were forced to turn back. For us, we did very little preparation and were not nearly as fit as we would have liked to have been. With that being said, we realized that making it to Uhuru Peak (the summit) doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be in the best physical shape. For us, it became more of a test of willpower and we were rewarded tenfold!

             We arranged our hike thru a local guide named Joseph who called Moshi, Tanzania his home. The arrangement was for a 6-day trek that would begin on July 8^th 2011, which is one of the busiest times of the year to trek. There are advantages and disadvantages to hiking during this time of the year:

Advantages:

•     This time of the season allows for the best visibility,
• ·      It’s the dry season which means the trails are in the best condition,
• ·      Because of dry season the chance of encountering bad weather is highly unlikely

Disadvantages:

•             It is winter in Tanzania so temperatures drop below 0 in the evenings,
•             July and August are peak season, which means the trails, and camping areas are jam packed full of muzungus (foreigners).

         
         We left Dar es Salaam, the capital city of Tanzania, on route to Moshi on a early bus that took approximately 8 hours. Once we arrived in Moshi we checked into the Backpackers Hostel, which was located near the city centre. After settling in we contacted our guide Joseph and arranged to meet at our place that evening. We spent the next hour or so talking about the trek, planning our route, and negotiating a fair price with Joseph. If you’re planning to trek up to the summit anytime in the future, you will quickly realize that there are hundreds of guides eager to take you up the mountain as well as dozens of different trekking companies to choose from. The reason we picked our guide is primarily because he was a referral from another traveler and because the price was the cheapest we had come across or had ever heard of. Because Kilimanjaro has such a competitive market, prices range from $850 - $3,000 USD depending on which company or guide you pick from and what your budget is.

            After everything was negotiated and agreed upon, we arranged for Joseph to meet us in town to show us where we could hire gear. The following morning he took us to one of the few rental shops in town where we were able to pick out everything required. We were amazed to see the shop had virtually everything and anything you could ever dream of renting for a trek. From used water bottles, long underwear, second hand socks, to -30C sleeping bags, snow pants, and North Face down jackets. Each item was priced out per trip and we ended up spending approximately $115 on equip for both of us. After the hire and everything was confirmed for the trek, we prepared our bags to leave the next morning.

            Day 1 began on a Friday morning and after a brief stop at the market to buy snacks, we headed towards the park headquarters to finalize park fees and begin the day’s hike. If you have not heard Kilimanjaro National Park has hefty park fees and you are required to pay approximately $131 USD/ per person / day. Most trekkers either choose a 6 or 7-day trek so if you choose the latter it means you will be forced to pay another days fees.

           

       Arriving at the gate of the Machame route, we picked up 6 porters, and started the ascent. Before we officially began walking the trail, our guide Joseph said he had some paperwork to take care of and that he would catch up with us on trail. It was a bit of a surprise that our guide abandoned us before the trek even began and little did we know this would not be the first or last time this happened to us. One of the porters who were part of our team said he would guide us up the trail and we ended up walking the entire first day solely with him and no guide.

  

            Day one was straightforward and proved to be a fairly gradual 18 km walk up to Machame camp. The trail was a gravel path and surprisingly wide enough that any vehicle could drive on. 4 hours later up a fairly steady incline the whole way, we arrived at our first campsite drenched in sweat and relieved to have made it through the first day unharmed. Upon arrival, we helped two of the porters set up our tent, and got ourselves settled. A small snack of popcorn, and tea were brought to us, which curbed our hunger until supper. Dinner was surprisingly tasty, and portions were huge, in fact that we could barely finish everything on our plates. We went to sleep early as our wake-up call, at 7am, the next morning was quickly approaching.

            On day two, we continued our climb, which brought us through 4 to 5 quite visibly different microclimates. What started as a very lush and tropical montane rainforest on day one, changed to more of a drier sub tropical forest where numerous shrubs replaced the massive trees. The second day was 9 km, and 6 hours of endless hills that you gradually went up followed by a quick descent before the next hill. As we approached the top of one of the hills, we broke through the cloud line, and had to stop to take some much-needed photos, as the view was absolutely breathtaking. There were several times during the day when Joseph told us that we were close to camp, yet we soon realized that was far from the truth. At the top of each peak we would ask how far it was to camp, and he would say “Just over there”… That turned out to be 5 huge hills, and 3 hours, later. We camped this night at Shira Camp, which was at an altitude of 3837 m, which is well above the height where altitude sickness begins.

            One of the most important factors to a successful climb is to stay well hydrated.  Dehydration is a concept misunderstood by most. If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, your body will become weak, and will be more susceptible to high altitude sickness. Once dehydrated it is already too late to make up for the loss of water. Most guides will tell you to drink at least 4-5 liters per day to maintain a healthy level of hydration. Keeping yourself hydrated before this hike is essential!

            Day three was the real acclimatization day, as we hiked up to approximately 4637 m to Lava Tower Camp, then back down to 3976 m at Barranco camp where we spent the night. As we began walking on trail, we realized that we were out of water. We asked if there was water further up the trail (to fill our bottles), and the reply from Joseph was “Why didn’t you tell the porters to get you water”. We were a little taken aback as we didn’t know that we had to inform the porters of this. Joseph was upset, took our bottles, and went back towards camp to get water for us. This ended up being yet another day that we hiked completely solo, and didn’t meet up with Joseph until we stopped for lunch at Lava Tower. The view of the peak from Lava Tower was amazing, and we were able to take some amazing photos as we were well above the cloud line. From there, we were able to see the Western Breach, which is a very technical climb and not recommended unless you are a very experienced. Currently, this route is even more technical since part of the mountain gave way, and a rockslide buried one of the camps. It is now viewed as “High Risk” to the summit. We noticed the landscape transformed from a very dry area with lots of shrubs, to an alpine desert with fairytale-like setting. Closer to camp, we came across huge trees that resembled giant pineapples. This area is known for its intense radiation, and huge temperature fluctuations. Daytime temperatures can rise above 35 degrees, and drop to below freezing at night. Due to the lack of water, and the thinning soil it becomes an unfavorable condition to plant life.

            Most people are aware that there are pills you can take to avoid getting Altitude Sickness. This ended up being an overly debated subject, and everyone had his or her own opinions on it. Some of the effects of altitude sickness include prolonged headaches, nausea, insomnia, dizziness, and loss of appetite.  If the symptoms worsen it can result in pulmonary, or cerebral oedema, which can often result in a fatal outcome. We were well stocked with Diamox, which was to prevent getting the sickness, but Joseph strongly discouraged us taking it. He told us that it works as a diuretic, and puts more pressure on the kidneys, which makes you urinate more. By urinating more frequently, it puts you at a higher risk of dehydration. His argument against Diamox was that if we kept ourselves properly hydrated, it would be enough of a defense against altitude sickness that we would not need to take the pills. Oddly enough, we met another team who all were on Diamox and only 2 of the 4 girls reached the summit. If you do decide to take Diamox, you have to start taking it before you begin the trek because if you don’t, they are useless. They are no help to you if you wait to take them, and are already experiencing the effects of high altitude.

            Day four arrived very early and it proved to be the biggest test yet. As we were getting geared up and eating breakfast, we noticed some trekkers that had already began shimmying along the rock face. They looked to be moving very slowly and the trail looked extremely steep. We knew that it was going to be a tough morning and a long day of 6-8 hours depending on our pace. The first few hours was a very slow go and a few points along the trail required some technical bouldering. We passed a couple that had the look of fear in their eyes and were just watching the others continue on. We never saw them from that point on and it is not known if they made it to the next camp or perhaps turned back. Once we got about halfway up the wall there was a risky transition called the ‘kissing rock’. It was a cliffhanger and you literally had to clench both your arms around a massive boulder and shuffle your feet over the ledge to continue on. Before we set off this day, our guide warned us that the ascent was challenging and to expect the worst. After we made it to the top of the wall, we were treated to another spectacular view of the surrounding area as well as the summit. We took a well-deserved rest, along with some photos, and then proceeded for another 2-hour hike down into a gorge and back up to our next stop where we were treated to a hot lunch.

            After lunch we still had another 3-4 hours to go before reaching our final resting point at Barafu Hut 4,673 m. Once we got to the camp, it was our final night before attempting the summit, which was a steep climb of almost 1,300 m.

5:00 pm: We arrived at our campsite after another grueling 8-hour day. At this point, we met some Americans who stayed at Barranco Camp, and we started to wish that we had chosen the 7-day hike rather than the 6 (to give our tired bodies a good days rest before summiting).

6:30 pm: Served another delicious dinner and feeling no problems with the altitude.Before we settled in for a few hours sleep, I dissembled our water bladders and drained out the water as we were told the temperatures at this altitude would surely drop below freezing. Starting the hike with a frozen bag of water was not anything we wanted to experience and were very grateful we did so come morning.

7:30 pm: Went to bed with 5 layers of pants, 7 layers of tops, toque, mittens and 2 pairs of socks (Tara, not Kevin), and was still freezing cold all night.

12:15 pm: “Woke up” (15 minutes late, in despair as our guide didn’t wake us up…. We had to go and shake their tent to get everyone moving) to begin the 8-hour hike of steady incline, in the dark, over large rocks and loose gravel, to the summit. Despite all of the layers worn, and high altitude, we didn’t manage to sleep at all. We woke up feeling exhausted, and realizing that this is what it must feel like to be 90 years old.

12:30 am: “Breakfast of Champions” was served, consisting of one cup of tea, and 3 baby biscuits each. Obviously, this would prove to not nearly enough food and our  energy stores were depleted within a few hours of starting the hike.

12:45 am: We left Barafu Hut on our way up to the summit.

           

2:30 am: The water in the tubes had in fact began to freeze and I spent the next 20 minutes de-thawing the tubes just enough to get a few sips of water to quench our thirst.Tara’s tubing was frozen solid so I decided to tuck my tube in my shirt to keep it from freezing for the rest of the hike.

           

3:00 am: Start to lose feeling in my toes and fingers.

3:30 am: Onset of frostbite, and fingers and toes in terrible pain!

3:31 am: Am forced to remove my 2^nd pair of socks, and have my hands warmed by one of the porters.

6:00 am: We began to see the sky lighting up, and our pace has decreased to no more than a crawl.

6:15 am: The sensation of hunger had now become excruciatingly painful.

6:45 am: Feeling relieved after witnessing one of the most incredible sunrises our planet could offer. Watching the sunrise at this elevation is something that made this hike extra special. What is usually a 10-minute process; this sunrise lasted close to 30 minutes due to how high we were!  Our pace had now become so slow at this point that we had to take a rest every 10 steps ahead.

           

6:50 am: Joseph, our guide, informed us that we were about 200 m from the summit, and for the rest of the way to the summit we kept being told that this hike was merely a “Piece of Cake”, by the lead porter. Classifying this hike as a piece of cake would be considered insanity to most.

 6:51 am: Were too cold and exhausted to care; the onset of pounding headaches began to set in.

7:01 am: Could feel our hearts in a race to catch up with the lack of oxygen. At this point we were nearing Stella Point which is a sign informing you that you’ve reached the top of the mountain…. Little did we know that this was in fact NOT the top. From this point, there is still 150 meters to go to reach Uhuru Peak, and it literally takes every last bit of energy you have to drag yourself there, and if you are lucky you will reach the sign that congratulates you for making it to the Roof Of Africa.

8:30 am: Arrive at summit, literally on Cloud 9!! Took some pictures, and started to descend about 10 minutes later due to increased intensity of head pain along with a severe case of lightheadedness.

            We spent 8 hours hiking up, and three hours back down to the campsite. Thankfully enough, we took a different route down and literally skied on loose gravel back to camp. It was a cross between monkey walking, and snow shoeing in powder. For those who are not into skiing, you could find this part quite challenging and little did I know this gravel-skiing would leave my feet very uncomfortable, coated in blisters, and barely able to finish the hike the following day.

            Once we got back to camp, we were greeted and congratulated by the other groups who were waiting for their turn to summit, and they were eager to know if we had made it to the top. We gave them a few tips of advice, and ducked out for a quick nap before heading down to the next camp for the final leg of the days hike. 4 hours later and on basically no sleep for almost 2 days, we arrived at the final campsite. Dinner was quick and quiet, and bedtime shortly followed. We slept like babies.

            One the last day, it took us 4 hours to reach the finish line, and just like that we had finished our Kilimanjaro experience. What should have taken 2-3 hours to reach the bottom, took us 4 as I (Tara) could barely walk. My feet were so badly blistered, knees aching, and were literally being hounded and drug to the end by Kev and our guide Joseph who had also developed a bit of a limp.

            So if you think you have what it takes to summit Kilimanjaro, here are a few of the things that you will have to look forward to that we both experienced along our 6 days on the adventure:

• Pounding headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Feet covered in blisters
• Aching knees
• Dry cracked noses
• Nausea
• Burnt bleeding lips
• Sore muscles
• Complete exhaustion
• Racing heart rate
• Restless sleeps
•  Freezing cold

            One thing you will indeed realize once you start your hike is that mountains are big, they all range in size but most take a while to get to the top. Kilimanjaro in particular is massive. A mountain that takes you 5 days just to get the top is no easy challenge especially when you’re dealing with high altitude and its potentially fatal effects. Many lives have been lost on this mountain mainly because of altitude and not taking proper care or understanding prevention. In the earlier days of trekking many porters would never make it back to the bottom nor get the chance to say goodbye to their family. This was mainly because of a lack of understanding or education of what altitude sickness is and not knowing how harmful and potentially fatal it can be if you start to experience the symptoms and continue climbing elevation. There will be many times along the trek that you may feel tired or a bit fatigued from the power of Kilimanjaro but the best advice we can give you is if you are to fall down, pretend you need a second to recover, and consider it a bonus rest. And best of all Goodluck! As even the fittest athletes have failed to make it to the top and instead rushed back down to safety.

© Copyright August 2011 Kilimanjaro Publications