Pam Ntaka IS a gal born in KZN, one of the mountainous regions in our beautiful country, South Africa. She fell in love with the mountains at an early and tender age while her parents drove her to boarding school. Her eyes glued on the window, as the car drove through the villages,  she witnessed the sunrise, sunset, stars and the moon over green mountains. She says “I always loved the view of mountains and rivers. This love grew so much, in my dreams I saw myself climb mountains meeting God at every peak. This love remained buried somewhere in my heart as a must do sometime in my life. The time has come…the mountains have responded”.

Growing up in a family of 4 gals, she has a huge passion for women. She understands what young girls and women go through and she decided to be the voice of the voiceless. Her dream is to see every woman, young and old have access to what they need to become better people. She adds “Today we have social challenges because as a society we have ignored the basic foundation of raising a young gal to be confident in who she is. Her confidence starts with taking care of her hygiene. If this is not possible how do we expect her to become  a woman she was created to be?” As a woman who was privileged to have access to sanitary towels, Pam decided to be part of this journey to reach out to those “who have”  on behalf of those “who do not have”. If we all have, we will walk our journeys in different directions but meet at the finish line achieving the same goal.  “#For the love of my nation – I will conquer Kilimanjaro.”

SW has been working for Shell SA for many years. He is passionate about sports and the outdoors and has done several hikes in the past. Kilimanjaro will be his first attempt and it has been a dream of his for many years. SW is married with three daughters and is a big family man. Caring for the needy is important to SW and the ability to combine this with a project through the Imbumba Foundation to make a difference in the lives of so many suffering young girls would be ideal.   SW says  “Climbing Kilimanjaro will be a huge opportunity for learning about myself, whilst at the same time, striving towards making a difference to those who are less privileged”

Nelson J. Zambrano was born in New York; however, he had what he describes as “incredibly rich childhood experiences” growing up between Colombia, South America and Brooklyn, NY.   Although he presently lives in South Florida, he has always been drawn towards mountains.  A life-long dream for him has been climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The region, the conflicts of Southern Africa and Nelson Mandela have been a passionate study of his for years. He calls it an act of close to Divine Serendipity meeting Werner Gruner at an event in Miami Florida and being invited to take part in this event.  “To be able to make this climb as one of only three Americans with the Nelson Mandela Foundation for this specific cause on the 100^th celebration of his life and contributions to our world is a true honor”.

Nelson is a Managing Partner of Normandy Group LLC and is on the advisory board to a Colombian non-profit called “Chao Racismo” which promotes inclusion among disenfranchised groups. Chao Racismo efforts are focused on Thought Leaders who drive current narratives, on race, religion, culture, politics and business. Nelson is also a Lieutenant Colonel U.S .Army Officer (Retired). He served in Infantry, Special Forces and Military Intelligence units, both in the Middle East and Latin America.  Nelson says:  “Having lived and worked overseas I know firsthand how often a lack of resources can deprive a generation of opportunity and create future conflict.  One solution is to create a society where everyone is valued, contributes and their dignity is respected. Many of the challenges in the world today will be solved by girls such as those we are supporting through this climb.  To me this is a simple solution: we must make investments in our future and this starts Now!”  He believes this experience will make him a better father to 6-year-old daughter Zara. They plan on doing a “mini-Kilimanjaro” hike in Colombia.

Thembinkosi ‘Themba’ Mbatha is from Ulundi (KZN), currently living in Vereeniging. Temba is a husband and father of 4, (3 daughters and a son). He has been involved with the charity organization Inselelo Maluju Foundation, which works with rural schools. Through this experience he learned that girls as they reach puberty have another challenge that we never really talk about, lack of sanitary towels. Being a father of girls himself, Temba understands the importance of female hygiene products and how lack of access can influence the confidence of a young girl and rob her of the appreciation of an important part of their womanhood.

Themba says: “When my employer Shell offered me the opportunity to participate in such a worthy cause, I took it with both hands. A bonus is that I will be summiting Mount Kilimanjaro which has been on my ‘to do list’ and it is also marking 100 years of Tata Nelson Mandela. Menstruation is a gift from mother nature and it comes with challenges, as a father I cannot do much about headaches, cramps and nausea, however I do make my girls lives easier by ensuring they have sanitary pads when needed. Trek4Mandela4 and Caring4Girls is giving me a chance to ease the burden of the girls outside my household”.

Werner H. Gruner has been serving in various capacities in the financial industry for over a decade and guides high net worth families, persons and entrepreneurs on international economic affairs.  Before accepting the position of Vice President at Swiss banking group SYZ (awarded “Best Private Banking Boutique” globally in 2014, 2015 and 2016 by Financial Times publications), he served as Director at Swiss private bank, Julius Baer and Andorran private bank, Andbank where he gained extensive experience in international private banking and solutions.

He has been an invitee speaker at conferences in South Africa, Kenya, the U.S. and The Bahamas – where he has been domiciled since 2007.  In 2012, Mr. Gruner was recognized with the “Professional of the Year” award, presented by Minister of Financial Services, the Honorable Ryan Pinder and the Bahamas Financial Services Board.  Werner holds a Banking and Finance Diploma in Private Banking from the Credit Suisse Business School and is fluent in English, Afrikaans and German. He is also a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver as well as a private pilot.  Born in South Africa, he attained an acute concentration in the improvement of third-world nations and has completed analysis-expeditions to various emergent countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Syria, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

In 2012, he established the Starlight Global Foundation, now Starlight Global, Inc., with a mission to empower people by investing in their education, culture and economic autonomy. The Foundation has supported notable events and projects in South Africa and The Bahamas.  From corporate board rooms to conflict zones to penurious rural areas, Werner has intimately immersed himself in a myriad of varying cultural realms that so many individuals must arduously tolerate on a daily basis and as such has committed himself to ascertaining sustainable long-term solutions that empower those less prosperous to gain the requisite atmospherics in order to excel in life. When it comes to nation-building, his emphasis is on deployment rather than purely employment – because he believes that importance is instituted in purpose and if purpose is not known, then exploitation will be inevitable.

Gillian Pillay or ‘Gilly’ as she is fondly known, is a journalist, activist, and an avid road runner.  Her daily life revolves around covering topical news issues for SABC Television News, ranging from children and women’s rights to high profile court cases.  She’s been as far afield as war ravaged Syria to highlight the on-going humanitarian plight in that country.  Gillian also extensively covered the Mozambican floods.

She first conquered Kilimanjaro in 2015.  She returned last year with her colleague, Thabo Madilola, to document the arduous journey up Kilimanjaro.  The pair will again bring the nation and continent a blow by blow televised account of the centenary climb.  This time they will ATTEMPT a double summit.  She hopes their stories which highlight the plight of the girl child will eventually ensure #freesanitarypadsinourlifetime.  Her mantra… if she can change the life of one girl child, through this campaign then has achieved so much more than she has set out do.

Video-journalist  Thabo Madilola or ‘his excellency Motlotlegi’ as he is fondly known is a rural boy from the dusty village of Magogoe in Mahikeng.  His most  memorable stint was from 2000 to 2007 when he worked as SABC Television News’ presidential video-journalist covering the former president Thabo Mbeki both locally and internationally.  Through his lens, he continues to capture daily topical news stories.

Thabo joined the Trek4Mandela family in 2017 alongside his colleague, Gillian Pillay working and walking with the team. He conquered the mountain…looking back he says ‘it was painful, challenging but achievable’.  Thabo will again join the expedition to bring the nation and continent a blow by blow account of the centenary climb.  But this time to ATTEMPT a double summit.

As a father he is fully sympathetic to the plight of the girl child.  As part of giving back, Thabo’s does motivational talks with youngsters.  He believes sex is a choice, menstruation is not.  #sexisachoicemenstruationisnot

Masodi Violar Mekgoe, born in Atteridgevile, Pretoria is a hardworking and enthusiastic fitness fanatic making business moves within the construction industry.   Violar finds refuge in caring and nurturing the needs of young girls within her community. As a reminder of triumph over adversity, Violar strives to liberate the young girls from the shackles of indecency in school.   The decision to summit Kilimanjaro stems from a personal and spiritual journey.

She says “Having sat at the Trek4Mandela Expedition Launch, where the caregivers shared their experiences, I was more inspired and realized that I could make a great impact within the surroundings of my community.  I am even more elated to be part of the 2018 Trek4Mandela team and have a great sense of pride since this year marks the centenary climb; 100 years of Madiba. Being the first, from my community; Atteridgeville, to summit Kilimanjaro, I hope to inspire more people to be part of this noble cause. To quote Nelson Mandela  “After climbing a great hill, one only finds there are many more hills to climb.” 

Charlotte Mekgwe is a Corporate Social Investment Specialist at the Industrial Development Corporation. They say that people who are passionate have more energy, enthusiasm, and charisma – Charlotte believes this is true and see it in herself through her passion for her work and her children.Her work has taken her to the lengths and breadths of this beautiful country of ours, South Africa. Even though her work has exposed her to some of the poorest communities, nothing has touched her as much as seeing young girls loitering around, not going to school due to poverty. As a mother of two girls herself, she realises that buying sanitary pads is something that comes naturally and can easily be taken for granted.

She says:  “In the communities that I am exposed to through work, it is daunting to realise that the lack of this same feminine hygiene product, deemed “insignificant” by some, can have such consequential and crippling effects on the girls who bear the brunt of poverty. For me, fighting poverty in such marginalised communities therefore requires focusing on girls to achieve equality and empowerment – the only way to achieve this, is if they are availed an opportunity to go to school all year-round.  The issue of girls missing school because they cannot afford sanitary pads has instilled the desire in me to want to do more in my individual capacity to ensure that girls are given an opportunity to stay in school, stay focused and achieve good results. I believe in dignity; one of the reasons why I am taking part in this initiative is to see those girls regaining dignity to face life head-on.”

Charlotte is happy that organisations like Imbumba Foundation are doing their best to tackle some of these issues and making a positive impact in the lives of vulnerable school girls. She has chosen to take a step forward this year and be part of making a difference, in that, she knows that she is raising awareness to good feminine hygiene and the restoration of dignity to girls facing these challenges daily.  Her favourite quote is by Vince Lombardi who once said “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious”.

Ntsiki Mpulo is a communications professional with 18 years of experience in communications, public and media relations. She works for a Non-Government Organisation that seeks to achieve equality and social justice in South Africa. Guided by the principles and values in the Constitution, the organisation uses law, advocacy, legal literacy, research and community mobilisation to achieve access to healthcare services and basic education.  On a daily basis she is involved in work that shapes the future of our country and makes meaningful input into activities that make a difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable communities in South Africa. She is an unapologetic feminist who believes that young women have only to see the opportunities that are available to them to thrive. She’s an adventurer who believes in Madiba’s words that “It is impossible until it is done.”

Ntsiki says  “As a fifteen year old girl, at the time of Madiba’s release – I remember that this moment ignited a sense of hope in me, and my fellow citizens. Of the many goals shared with us at the start of our “irreversible” march to freedom, I remember Madiba’s commitment to the plight of children. I remember the hope that children would be able to access the kind of basic education they had been denied for so many decades; that access to quality healthcare would be within reach for everyone who needed it. While we were invited to dream with Madiba, I did not envisage a country in which nearly 2000 new HIV infections per week were amongst girls my age and up to 24 years of age.  I did not envisage a country where girls missed up to 20 percent of the school year because of lack of access to sanitary towels.  I’m joining the Centenary Trek because I want to demonstrate to young women that the nothing is impossible, and it is our self-limiting beliefs that hold us back. Given the right opportunities we can achieve anything.”

Cathy Mohlahlana is an award-winning broadcast journalist and news anchor for South Africa’s leading 24hr news channel eNews Channel Africa. She currently hosts the primetime evening news slot NewsNight, between 18h00 and 20h30 on DSTV403 daily.  During her time at eNCA, Cathy has hosted the eTV evening primetime bulletin and covered high profile stories including the life of Nelson Mandela and the Oscar Pistorius Murder trial. She’s also hosted weekly programs including #Africa and Week-In-One.

Cathy began her career as a reporter and radio anchor for Talk Radio 702’s Eyewitness News and Kaya FM. In 2009 she won the National Press Club Radio Journalist of the Year Award. In 2012, she was selected to take part in the CNN Journalism Fellowship.  In 2014, Cathy was selected as a fellow for US President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiate. She’s also been named by Destiny magazine as one of the top 40 women under 40 in 2015.

Cathy says:  “Young black girls remain one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. It is shameful that in 2018, there are girls who must suspend their schooling because of their monthly period. It’s yet another indication of how unequal a society we remain. Being part of Trek4Mandela is part of my contribution, in removing the obstacles girls face in pursuit of a better life and in restoring their dignity. There is a role we can all play in creating a better society”.

Bella Mogoshi is from a small village in Limpopo called Tooseng (Ga-Mphahlele). She is passionate about everything health and fitness and climbing Kilimanjaro has been a dream for years. Bella ‘s purpose for climbing is to motivate every young girl in her village and surroundings to dream big and never limit themselves because of their current backgrounds.

She says:   “I want these young girls to know that it’s not a cliché when people say:  Even the Sky is NOT the limit. I want to cultivate in them the culture of self-motivation and self belief through this journey of climbing Kili. Being part of this initiative will allow me to echo the message especially to people here in the cities that majority of this number (350 000) is mostly girls in the villages around the country where poverty is real. And offering sanitary towels to these girls is a way of us saying to them “Your personal hygiene is important and we care about your wellbeing. And the VERY last reason for you to miss a day of school should be due to you being on your period!”

Yandi is a 36-year-old mother of 3 girls and lives in Johannesburg. She grew up in the rural Eastern Cape, so for her the suffering of young girls is something she has witnessed and not hearsay. She explains:  “I was once one of those girls. This campaign for girls resonates deeply with me as the plight of the young girls has been up until now ignored. For me, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro will be giving back to these young girls, assuring them that I care, and that having to miss school due to periods is not okay. Coincidentally, my running club started a similar campaign titled ‘She runs period’, in solidarity with these young women. Climbing Kili is my way of showing my unwavering support to the young women, and as mother of girls myself, there is no better way to show my care than this.”

Thusani Mulaudzi hails from the Limpopo Province in the Republic of South Africa, and is of Venda roots. She is passionate about making an impact in the lives of those who face the direst of circumstances in their everyday lives due to challenging socio-economic circumstances.  This is her passion for participating in the Trek4Mandela.  Thusani is a Deputy Director: International Relations and Networking in the City of Johannesburg. She is an International Relations practitioner and Public Administrator, both by training and profession.  Working in the international relations environment sensitised her to the plight of the most disadvantaged in our country as well as in the continent as a whole, while also opening her up to the fact that it is possible not only for the government and NGOs sectors to alleviate the plight of those in need.  It challenged her to take personal responsibility for doing volunteer work.

She also gained valuable insight into how other countries harness the collective power of the citizens to participate in programmes that benefit those who live in the margins of society due to their unfavourable socio-economic circumstances.  For Thusani, Caring4Girls was the ideal organisation which she found most aligned to encompassing the lessons that she had learned from other international stakeholders in terms of the operations model which they utilise for harnessing citizen participation and corporate participation to change the lives of those deserving, hence her affinity for participating in Trek4Mandela through them.  Thusani’s drive to serve as a catalyst of healthy lifestyles stems from her personal journey in terms of body transformation and her perseverance, where over one year and a half, she lost 60 kilograms.  She is a social runner and also loves to spin occasionally. When she is not putting her body through its paces, she can be found at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa, in the Tshwane Central Parish, contributing to the spiritual endeavours of the church.

Andisa is a 34 year nature lover and avid hiking fanatic who hails from the windy city of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.   By profession she is a cultural engineer, otherwise known as a Human Resources Practitioner, working in the entertainment industry.   She is also a young mother of two incredible boys.   Andisa believes if her  involvement can aid in keeping just one young girl in school, then she has done her bit. She truly believes that if we can do small things with big love, we can make a huge difference.

She says “Coming from an all-female household I know all too well about female hygiene and care.   I’m a firm believer that part of being a good citizen is to lend a hand and partner with community outreach programmes that one can relate with and that for me are my partnership with the Imbumba Foundation.   As a young woman who lives in this dynamic country of ours I believe in the power of female empowerment and I believe in getting this right early on. I’m also an avid believer in the value of education and for young girls and boys in our country to be afforded opportunities whilst still young and for us to remove any hindrances to their potential future success.  I was very lucky earlier on in my career to have had a strong young female mentor who by all accounts opened a few doors for me in my journey as a professional. One of the things she instilled in me is that “It’s important to send the elevator down for the others behind you”. This has always stuck with me and this has been the catalyst for my involvement with Caring for Girls.  The Caring for Girls initiative is an incredibly important programme that not only provides sanitary wear for the young women in South Africa who unfortunately cannot afford them, but more importantly is a beacon of hope for a brighter future for these young women.”  

Tawanda, know as TC, is an adventurer, and biker whose travels have taken him around the world from Alaska to Zanzibar, and most places in between.  When not travelling, he is one of South Africa’s leading Fintech experts.

Tawanda joined the Centenary Trek for the daunting challenge of successfully summiting Mount Kilimanjaro – the world’s highest free standing mountain, and the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for a cause near to his heart – providing  access to sanitary pads for girls from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds.  He lives by the motto – Go Forth and Conquer.

Calvin Tshaka is 33 years of age and a Business Development Manager, Bus & Coach, for Mercedes- Benz South Africa. He was born in Pretoria and spent most of his childhood and teenage years in Kimberley, Galeshewe.   Calvin says “Having to grow up in a Children’s Home most of my childhood days where my mother used to work and being exposed to poverty stricken places, I noticed that I should get involved in making a difference in the community. The opportunity came my way when I was exposed to Caring4Girls and Trek4Mandela through Imbumba Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. We take it for granted that something that so small to others can have a huge impact in a girl’s life. This thing we take for granted can cause a school girl not have the opportunity to be exposed in the working environment and not to achieve their dreams. This thing is “sanitary pad”. Our girls that are in school today are future parents, leaders and wives. That’s the reason I decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to show my commitment to our school girls who can’t afford sanitary pads that we care and we are going through this challenge with them. Thanks to Mercedes-Benz South Africa for the sponsorship to get me to Mount Kilimanjaro and to sponsor 100 school girls with sanitary pads for the whole year. I would also like to thank my wife, kids, family and friends for their support during this time.”

Davina  describes herself as a single mum, life partner, animal lover, tea drinker, book reader, introvert, geek who has an aversion to social media, crowds and germs.  She lives in Johannesburg, hates being cold, enjoys spending time with her nutcase dogs, loves eating (a little too much), enjoys long lazy weekend mornings and of course a cup of tea.

Davina says “I have strong desire to sit on the settee with a cup of tea and a good book and then I do things like sign myself up to summit Kilimanjaro.  Luckily Trek4Mandela caught me at a time when I wasn’t reading a good book or drinking a cup of tea and so here I am.  I’ve wanted to summit Kilimanjaro for a long time but as with most things, life got in the way and it never happened.  So, when I was offered the chance to do it this year, I’ve jumped at it with my entire being and being able to help girl children stay in school by raising funds for sanitary pads, is a bonus. The Caring4Girls is an important initiative and one I’m happy to be a part of.  I’m extremely grateful to Cube Design and Imbumba Foundation for making my dream of going to Kilimanjaro come true.”

Kevin Ritchie is a former newspaper editor turned media consultant. He has never climbed mountains before. This year he’ll be climbing Kilimanjaro to document the stories of others summiting this, as well as other, personal challenges, while drawing attention to the plights of hundreds of thousands of South African schoolgirls who climb their own mountains, silently, every month.

He has been inspired by the work of the Imbumba Foundation’s Caring4Girls project and has published the work of the Million Comforts campaign, but this year is the first time he will become personally involved – every step of the way – writing about it for The Star, The Cape Argus, The Mercury and the Pretoria News.

Cleo Johnson is a 26-year-old entrepreneur and social change activist. She is the founder and curator of Nuecleo marketing & communications agency.  Her focus in life, is the upliftment of wmen and girls. She achieves this through volunteered mentoring programs & speaking engagements, community funding & events and ministering to women in prison. Her agency promotes social change by only hiring females and offers internships to ladies from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Having experienced not having access to sanitary ware due to financial difficulties in her teens, the Caring4Girls initiative is very close to her heart.  She says:  “It’s such an honour and privilege to be part of the centenary expedition and to be able to not only conquer one of my life long dreams but make a public statement for such a worthy cause. Over the past year I have promised to always say YES to whatever opportunity comes my way, no matter how daunting. This YES has proven to be the best so far!”

Dilon Subramanian received his LLB from University of Kwa Zulu Natal and is an admitted Advocate of the High court of South Africa. He is currently employed by Absa Bank as a Fiduciary Specialist.  He recently lost his mother Kalavanie Subramanian in January 2018 to a month long battle to Brain Cancer. Dilon shared a special bond with his mother like any other son and mother relationship. Dilon leant and inherited a lot of qualities from his mum, Kalavanie. She experienced a chain of challenges in her lifetime including two serious health issues which includes head surgery in 2004 and a stroke in 2014 which she had overcome.

The Trek4Mandela century climb holds a special place for Dilon as he believes that the drive to support the younger females and climb Mount Kilimanjaro is a reflection of his mother’s resilience to always overcome the odds, despite the challenge and at the same time uplifting and assisting those that required support in one form or another.  As a committed father of two young girls, Dilon understands the need and supports the cause to liberate young woman by providing them with sanitary care through this challenge.

Angela Yeung was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to South Africa as a child, growing up in the Free State.  She is the mother of a teenager daughter, a wife and an entrepreneur. She won the jewelry designer of AngloGold Ashanti and is the businesses woman behind the bespoke jewelry brand, Impilo Collection.  Angela was invited to be an executive member of the SA Diamond Dealers Club – the first Asian woman in the club.  She was also elected as Secretary General of The Chinese Association.  She is a practitioner of Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism, which inspired her passionate belief in humanity to service the community.

It is no coincidence that living in Africa for the last 30 years, Angela has seen the struggles of underprivileged young girls, hence her desire to raise funds by climbing Kilimanjaro for Trek4Mandela, which she says “…will be a life changing experience.  I want to dedicate my effort and life to happiness and especially, to benefit under privileged girls to have better futures. Nothing can be more meaningful than this: to enable them to find her own personal diamond within themselves – and knowing that each person is unique and has the potential to add her own special value to society.”  In keeping with her spirituality she is focused on the concept of body, mind and soul being in harmony.

“My Body – Climbing Kilimanjaro will be hard and will be a reminder of the suffering of others.  I shall focus on the beauty of this climb and will feel that I can inspire others   to overcome hardships in life.  My Mind – A positive attitudes are important for the climb. My goal is to distribute sanitary pads to the needy community (Free State) which will motivate me to keep going.  My Spirit – Carry the legacy of Nelson Mandela in my heart with a deep appreciation of human kind and be part of the change I want to see!”

Xavier Saer is a passionate photographer, songwriter, businessman and novelist.  He is a compulsively creative individual who has achieved success in a wide range of artistic fields from music, to photography and design. Xavier’s primary focus was music. He is a singer and songwriter who has released five albums and published over 1,200 songs with Universal Music. His music has received airplay in South Africa, USA and Peru, and has been nominated for several major awards, the SAMA being one of them.  In the past few years he has turned his hands to photography, working as a professional photographer and managing director of Vida Brava International, the parent company of the “By Xavier” brand. I’m also a model, appearing in print and television advertisements. He has been the brand ambassador for many luxury products.  The “By Xavier” brand is regarded as a photographic luxury brand in South Africa and is well-known to work with celebrities, 5 stars hotels and multinational corporate companies.  In 2012, his first novel, “Bleeding Heart” was published internationally. This is a story of living life with a passion which draws from his own experiences as a songwriter and humanitarian.

Xavier says his participation in the Trek4Mandela expedition all came by accident. One of his best friends, Lynn Forbes, wanted to celebrate her 50th birthday in a special manner, and chose to have close friends for this momentous occasion. When she mentioned Trek4M he was immediately sold… what could be better than spending one of my friend’s milestones on top of Kili while helping others on their life’s path? He had found that living just for oneself in truly one-dimensional and plain boring. Xavier says:  “Once we give of ourselves, we share our inner world, and start to make small changes, that impact the world on a big scale. From a birthday celebration, it became a walk for the girls and a personal task. From a simple invitation, it became a goal to assist fellow human beings with less means than most of us. Starting from a proposal, it became a reason and a purpose to give so many girls the right to a better education and life.” 

 His reasons for climbing:  “All people dream. Some dreams are bigger than others, but all dreams lead in the same direction: they fulfil aspirations we all have and gift us with opportunities to make memories and grow as human beings. Starting as a bucket list, which is to climb Kilimanjaro, the story changed… it grew wings of its own and became a personal crusade for the people we are benefitting. My purpose and passion as a photographer is to document the story of the 2018 climb… the personal struggles and the immortal joys that we will experience as individuals and as a team. It is a privilege for me to be a storyteller, to be a witness to one of the most important chapters in our lives… all for a meaningful cause: to allow our girls to climb their own Kili and experience the joy of becoming who they are meant to be.”

Lynn Forbes is an inspirational speaker, entrepreneur and mother to her two sons, South African Hip Hop Artist AKA (Kiernan Forbes) and his younger brother Steffan.  A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Lynn challenges the stigma surrounding sexual abuse, the silence that protects the perpetrator and the shame and denial, which fuels the epidemic. She speaks out against the abuse of children and advocates that we all have a responsibility to raise children who will not spend their adult lives recovering from their childhoods.

Her goal is to make a positive impact on education in South Africa.  Her childhood dream has been to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the place above the clouds, where she escaped to as an 11-year-old, during the time of her sexual abuse.  The birth of her granddaughter, Kairo Owethu Forbes, in July 2015, triggered her final decision and commitment to attempt the summit of Africa’s highest mountain, as part of her 50^th birthday celebrations in July 2018.  Lynn says:  “ClimbingKili4Kairo, has become my personal cause, Kairo being symbolic and representative of the plight of every child on the African continent.”

A teacher by profession, Lynn is passionate about making an impact through education, inspiring courage and giving hope to children. She is a black South African woman who feels compelled to personally make a positive contribution to address the social and economic circumstances faced by so many children in Africa.  The Trek4Mandela 2018 Centenary Expedition to Kilimanjaro has provided her with a platform to carry forward Madiba’s legacy, achieve her childhood dream and celebrate her 50^th birthday. As an Ambassador she aims to increase awareness of the Caring4Girls initiative, to ensure accessibility to sorely needed sanitary products together with hygiene education,  and to ensure the growth and development of young South African schoolgirls into women with dignity.

Thinus Scheepers will be representing the South African Mint Company where he is the  Chief Engraver.  Tinus’s motivation and reason for joining the Trek4Mandela expedition is to give back as much as possible to those who need, and to inspire young and old to step up and be part of the bigger picture and giving others a world of opportunity where it otherwise seems impossible.  He says:  “Climbing Kilimanjaro in 2018 with Trek4Mandela and the added Trek100, being the year that Nelson Mandela would have been 100years old, will be even more special for me. I regrettably never had the chance to meet Mandela in person and summiting Kilimanjaro under his flag, on his birthday, might only be a small step in comparison to his long walk to freedom, but will bring me as close as possible to a father of a nation that brought this beautiful country of us together.

Getting fit, physically and mentally, and taking hands with a team of extraordinary human beings, will be a small price to pay to inspire others to have compassion for one another.   It will only be my honor to be an ambassador for the South African Mint Company, Trek4Mandela and the Caring4Girls campaigns. Not only will sanitary care be provided for underprivileged girls with the Caring4Girlrs campaign but with the added element of giving 67 young girls the opportunity to travel to some of the Seven Wonders of the World. For me, whiles travelling the world, I grew so much as a person. It opened my eyes to different cultures and diversity and broadened my horizons. I can only wish this upon others.” Through his commitment to the campaign, he hopes that others will also be inspired to make sacrifices to support those in need and give everyone, particularly the future mothers of our nation, an equal chance in life.

For Paige Kilimanjaro has always been something she wanted to achieve, and what better way to do it than through this. Expedition.  “Making a difference in the world and in other peoples lives has always been a  passion of mine and something I try very hard to do on a regular basis.”  Paige is a 25 year old young lady who has a passion for life and for making a difference. She is the proud owner of The Exception Signature events company and is also honored to be the Marketing and Events Manager across two family businesses, Road To Race and Shelby South Africa.   A massive part of her life has always been motor racing.   She is a part of her dad’s legendary racing team, Lindenberg Racing and has had the privilege of teaming up with him over the last few years.  2017 was a fantastic year for her in her racing career and saw her winning many awards including the prestigious “Man Of The Year Award”

Paige loves being active and setting herself high goals, 2018 is the year she will accomplish her first half Ironman together with summiting the beautiful Kilimanjaro mountain for as she puts it “one of the most inspiring organizations I know.”  Her motto in life: Live every day to the absolute fullest as you never know when it will be the last. Nothing is impossible, if you put your mind to something, nothing can stop you from achieving it. Take every challenge and opportunity that comes your way and show the world that no matter what, you will conquer it.   She is looking forward to her 2018 journey with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.   She says:  “I want to help us show these amazing girls that if we can summit Kilimanjaro, they can climb any mountain that comes their way.”

Rivhatshinyi Kamara is the founder and CEO of Tshiphiri Foundation,  a registered Non-Profit Organization formed in 2014, to address the challenges faced by school going young females in rural South Africa. Having come from the same background, both socially and academically, she decided to establish a program where learners would be; informed, encouraged and mentored during the transition phase between high school and University. She is also a director of the Rinaesengane Foundation which champions women’s rights in the greater Vhembe area in Limpopo. The foundation aims to be a voice to the voiceless, fighting against gender based violence and protecting vulnerable children.

Rivha is a Deal Maker at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) which provides finance for industrial development projects, playing a catalytic role in promoting partnerships across industries within South Africa and Africa as well as promoting regional economic growth. In her role as a Deal maker she is afforded the opportunity to meet and interact with future entrepreneurs, listen to their dreams and aspiration and ultimately help them achieve their goals by providing financing for their business. Her job allows her to be part of a group of passionate people whose mission it is to play a role in eradicate poverty, through helping businesses that employ local, usually unskilled people from surrounding communities.

Rivha received her BSc degree in electrical engineering from the University of Cape Town with honours. She further received a Masters in Finance and Investments from the University of Witwatersrand.  When she isn’t championing women’s issues and conquering mountains, she spends time with her son, Kasozi, or she can be found lost in a great book, or championing for females to be offered the opportunity to get an education women’s rights and education

Tebogo is a 36-year-old male, born and raised near the grandiose Blouberg mountains of Limpopo (Senwabarwana). Currently he is an IT professional with passion to inspire the youth and a love for mountains.   For Tebogo, mountains have always symbolized a need to overcome, make progress and signifies the state of absolute consciousness of the surroundings.

To mark Madiba’s legacy and centenary celebration, he desires to deliver hope, education and restore an impoverished young girl’s dignity by providing sanitary protection and more. He is determined to create an awareness and an opportunity to overcome and progress further, this vitally important social calamity. He finds no better ways but to take up the necessary challenge of trekking Africa’s largest mountain (Kilimanjaro) to refine the “How” and to affirm the “Why” he does this.  His favourite quote:   “Great things are done when men and mountains meet” -William Blake

Vickey is a Payments Consultant to the banking industry who left full time employ in 2015 to pursue his goal of summiting the highest points on the 7 continents. To date, he’s done 2 continents and has summited 7 peaks in the process.  The following poem by RL Sharp captures the common cause of life which informs Vickey’s reasons to summit Kilimanjaro:
“Isn’t it strange, that princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
Are builders for eternity.
To each are given, a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass and a bag of tools.
And each must make, ‘ere life has flown,
A Stumbling Block or a Stepping Stone”.

Noting the poem above, his reasons for supporting the Caring4Girls programme is 3-fold, 4, if you count the advertising:
1. to ensure that the “book of rules” are fairly applied, especially for women in a male-oriented society;
2. to demonstrate how to wield “the bag of tools” practically and effectively;
3. this event, hosted by The Imbumba Foundation, provides a great platform for – the voices of schoolgirls to be heard;
4. and selfishly, to chisel his “shapeless mass” into a “Stepping Stone”
“Why I climb mountains and Why climb Mt Kilimanjaro?”
Climbing mountains is a tough challenge on the body, mind and soul. By doing this climb, Vickey hopes to demonstrate that whilst everybody has their “mountains” which must be overcome, it takes belief and perseverance to overcome life’s obstacles.  Vickey has a personal link with this African mountain. In 2015 he did his 2nd climb to scatter his Mum’s ashes at the summit. It will forever be a place of refuge for Vickey.  Every summit prepares him for the next mountain. It is a life lesson to be better today than we were yesterday.

Mags Natasen is a free spirited, adventurous and determined 43 year old who tries hard every day to successfully juggle the demands of full time corporate work and single parenting in a never ending quest for independence, sanity and balance. When she is not at work, she loves to travel, explore and experience new things and while she loves the cosmopolitan city life of Sandton, she often escapes to the beach or countryside to re-centre and revitalize. Mags grew up in the Kwa-Zulu Natal suburb of Silverglen in Durban and has lived in Johannesburg for the past 15 years. Growing up, she always had a passion for people and animals and considers herself an advocate for social change and animal welfare; choosing to influence the world positively however and whenever she can. She believes that women can be so much more if they are afforded equal opportunities and dreams of a society free of gender bias and inequality.

Mags says:  “My Trek4Mandela pledge was inspired by multiple aspirations. Firstly, I will be one of the privileged few to commemorate Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday by standing on the highest point of the African continent. Not only will I be realizing a childhood dream on a scale I never imagined, but I will also be epitomizing the many mountains that women in society continue to climb every day in our fight for equality and social justice. As a woman who has transcended personal trauma, and a single mother to a special needs child, I continue to face my own mountains on a daily basis which makes this climb symbolic for me on several levels. Most importantly, I want to make a difference in the lives of others and am therefore climbing Kilimanjaro so that 200 girls can have one less mountain to climb every month for the next five years as I aim to support my beneficiaries over their entire five year high school career. Lastly, I want my daughters, Lauren and Jesse, to witness the power of social activism and know that women can achieve anything through faith, resilience and grit.”

Dikeledi Dlwati is fondly known as Queen D in her social and hiking circles.  Dikeledi is a mother of two girls; an executive in a manufacturing company; self-made public speaker, mentor and coach to youth and women, and minister to children.  She is a non-conformist who refuses to accept the status quo.  She intimately understands that the plight of women and girl children in this patriarchal society is far from over and is passionate about leading programmes that contribute towards development of women.

In her own words she explains:  “I experienced my first period at the tender age of 9, unfortunately I was chastised and falsely accused of sleeping with boys.  Shame as well as physical and psychological pain accompanied my period for years to come.  Those around me, in ignorance, believed I created reasons to bunk school.  Had I received the relevant support in the many years I suffered, I believe my grades would have been better.  I was fortunate to hear Richard Mabaso, the founder of Caring4Girls initiative, speak at the launch of the Pepsico and The Mandela Foundation partnership, and something moved in me. Instantly I knew I had to join the Trek4Mandela team and partner with Richard and his team in changing the lives of these girls beyond Kilimanjaro.”

Dikeledi’s upbringing was shaped by phenomenal women whilst moving between families and different provinces, in search of a better education and life.  She was tortured, abused and marginalised.  She has hiked for many days, walked on hot coals, all for the rights and betterment of girl children and women.  Through her commitment and hard work, she is today a voice and instrument of mobility and progress for many women and girls, knowingly and unknowingly.  This journey has now led her to attempt the ascend of Kilimanjaro.

Dikeledi appeals to her followers and friends:  “Climbing Kilimanjaro undoubtedly will remind me of these girls’ struggles as well as my own past.  My desire is to raise at least R100 000 to keep 100 girls in school and mobilise many women and men in my circle to pursue this cause until menstrual and other girl children’s issues are history.  With your support, and God willing, I should summit on 18 July.”

Warran Pula was born and raised in Moletjie Ga-Setati and is currently employed by South African Mint as an Electronic Technician. He is also a chairperson of Tabernacle C.O.G.I.C trustee board, a member of South African Chefs Association and a founder of Matsogo-dinku humanitarians which also provide sanitary towels to girls in Lifiso Middle School.  Warran is married to Conny Pula for 5 years whom he have known since 2003; and now blessed with a lovely 6 month old boy, Atlegile.   His passion in life is spending time with family, reading books, cooking and pouring himself out.

On why he has decided to climb Kilimanjaro with the Trek4Mandela Expedition, Warran explains:  “Jesus changed my life and for that reason it has always been my purpose to provide a helping hand to those less fortunate to afford the necessary essential basics, which makes life worth living.  The basic principle that I live by is anchored on the realisation that there are people who have given-up their comfort and sacrificed for me to be the person that I am today.   To mention but a few; my parents and grandmother, Vincent Mathews, Ezekiel Pula, Lawrence Makhoali, Johannes Mabula, Mlungisi Cele & Mandla Nkosi. For that reason I’ve developed an attitude of saying: my presence must be able to create and provide opportunities for others to shine.   Lack of sanitary towels must not be a reason for our country to loose future leaders with great minds because they could not afford to be at school. I’m not partaking in this course for girls but rather to affect, rebuild and reshape their destinies.”

Summiting Kilimanjaro has been on Abigail Senate Semono’s vision board since 2015. It is a personal goal that she had set for herself and has since worked toward achieving – 2018 is her year!  Abigail has worked very hard on her health and fitness in order to make this dream a reality; she has lost 47 kgs and counting, and is now ready to take on this adventure.  The issue of development and education of women is close to her heart, and she feels we can never speak enough about it, she says:   “When I heard of Trek4Mandela – the initiative to raise funds for 500 000 South African schoolgirls through the Imbumba Foundation endorsed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, it made perfect sense for me to bring the two together.   The conversation around girls and education has started, but for me, talking is not enough – it is time for action. The Trek will be my small contribution towards keeping the girl child in school.”

Abigail is adventurous, loves hiking and is very excited about this expedition. She is dedicating her climb to her three children and for every South African child to know that “if you will it, you can achieve it!”  She quotes from a favourite quote by Amina J Mohammed: “Collectively, we see the hills before us – and we are challenged to climb them.   For climb we must no other option!” and her excitement is infectious when she tells us: “I am certainly looking forward to standing at Africa’s roof top for our girls!”

Motshidisi is an adventurous spirit who loves the outdoors. She loves learning and she intentionally seeks out things that will challenge her, because she believes life begins at the end of your comfort zone! When she is not “adventuring ‘’, she is superwoman i.e. a mom. She has a one year old son, Mchele who has turned her life as she puts it “upside down –  in a good way and keeps me busy, busy busy!!”  Motshidisi  grew up in Polokwane and is the eldest of two children. She is passionate about people. And says her passion was instilled by her mother who was a school teacher. “I was taught from a very young age that giving back and helping others is important… its part of ubuntu, being human. Being raised by a single mother meant there were many difficulties and challenges. Fortunately, I received a lot of help from various people to get to where I am today. The help of others together with a good education led to my success.

I decided to get involved with Trek4Mandela and Caring4Girls because it is a cause that resonates with me. For me it’s a way of paying it forward: in the same way that others have contributed to my success journey I want to contribute to improving the lives of others.  The fact that millions of impoverished girls miss school due to lack of sanitary pads is awful and infringes on their human right to education. For many young girls education is also the key to better opportunities and a way out of poverty. If their education is compromised their future and success is compromised.  I’m climbing Kilimanjaro so that girls can stay in school, be empowered through education and have better lives. I’m climbing to build a better society, one girl at a time.”

Mpume Nyandu says “The mountain has called, and I must go! Mountains come in different shapes and forms for different people. And for thousands of underprivileged young women in South Africa their mountain is lack of access to basic needs, which include something as basic as sanitary towels. As a way of raising awareness to the plight that these young women, and because matters pertaining to the empowerment of women and a girl-child are very close to my heart, I decided to take part in this year’s Trek4Mandela Kilimanjaro Challenge.”

For Mpume, this is a unique and an exciting opportunity as it allows her to play her part in ensuring that a girl-child is kept in school through the Caring4Girls Programme, while fulfilling her quest for new experiences and challenges which has seen her white-river rafting in the river Ghanjis although she is not a good swimmer, standing at the top of the Swiss Alps even though she can’t ski. Her next stop is top of Kilimanjaro and the bonus is that it will be on the birthday of Tata Madiba. “I do all this because, refuse to say: Veni, Vidi, effugi: ‘I came I saw and I ran away.’  My motto is: Feel the fear and do it anyway! So even though I am a bit nervous, I look forward to a challenging time both physically and mentally, and great team work among the climbers as we make our away to and from the top of the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, all in the name of making a difference in the lives of our girls. Azishe!!!”