Johannesburg - After a successful 10 years of the Trek4Mandela Expedition – with over 300 climbers attempting to reach the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro; 13 expeditions over a decade; and together with corporate partners, close to 2 million girl children empowered – Trek4Mandela is opening its doors to all inspired individuals who wish to reach the highest peak in Africa for a good cause next year.
On July 18, 2012, Richard Mabaso and Sibusiso Vilane sought to reach to the highest peak in Africa in support of the menstrual hygiene initiative, Caring4Girls on Mandela Day. Caring4Girls is a programme founded by the Imbumba Foundation, that addresses the harsh reality of period poverty still faced by many girls in South Africa and the rest of the globe by providing sanitary towels, puberty education and menstrual hygiene support to adolescent girls.
This programme was started when Mabaso overhead a fearful conversation between his mother and niece about menstruation and came to the realisation that there are a lot of stigmas and misconceptions around the subject and lack of support.
Research has shown that girls miss school and some drop out completely, due to a lack of adequate menstrual hygiene support. The Imbumba Foundation’s Caring4Girls and Trek4Mandela initiatives tackle this issue by raising funds and awareness to keep girl children in school.
Trek4Mandela kicked off it’s preparations for the 2023 Expedition through its 4th Open Day in the Drakensberg this past weekend, with 16 potential climbers.
The Open Day series, which launched this year, takes place in the Drakensberg and welcomes Trek4Mandela participants, families, friends, and any other interested parties to join them during the expedition’s training sessions.
Furthermore, given the support and interest received over the years, Trek4Mandela will be having two expeditions next year, on Mandela Day, July 18, and Women’s Day, August 9.
Trek4Mandela is open to individuals, from all walks of life, who wish to reach Africa’s rooftop while empowering girl children by keeping them in school.
“We at the Imbumba Foundation, are proud that through collaborative efforts between our partners and the Trek4Mandela programme have empowered millions of girl children,” said the foundation. “We have a vision to support all Quintile 1 to 3 schools in South African by the year 2030 and believe that through our continued collaborative efforts, we can bring this vision to light.
“We are excited to welcome newcomers to the Trek4Mandela programme for next year and that many people get to tick off a bucket list item for a good cause,” said Trek4Mandela communications manager Sina Moyane.
The Star
Now watch: