A team of female climbers, supported by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro yesterday. The mission highlighted the importance of school meals and education for girls. At the summit the team displayed the WFP banner to show how school meals can make a child achieve their dreams.
“We are on the top! Nothing is impossible if we struggle to pursue our dreams,” said Nimdoma Sherpa, after reaching the top of Africa’s tallest mountain. Sherpa received WFP school meals as a child in Nepal and has been a spokesperson for the agency. She climbed Mount Everest in 2008.
“Nimdoma is an example of what girls’ eduation can do,” said Shailee Basnet, the leader of the Nepali group. “We know there are many more Nimdomas around the world and we hope we can motivate them to achieve their dreams.”
Another member of the climbing team, Anna Philipo Indaya, is a teacher in a WFP-supported primary school in Arusha, Tanzania. Other climbers included Hlubi Mboya, a South African actress and WFP National Ambassador Against Hunger, and Ashura Kayupayupa, a youth activist from Dar es Salaam. Childreach International, Tanzania’s Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources, and the Tanzania National Parks all supported the climb.
Hlubi Mboya remarked,“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Never give up, be your own hero, never quit, never fear failure."
Sherpa is also featured in a children's story and coloring book titled, "The Snow Leopard, the Yeti and the Girl Who Climbed Mount Everest."
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