We did it!

We did it!
On the Roof of Africa

Who are we & why did we do this?

We are three couples living in Nova Scotia who were intrigued by the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. We have all been blessed to live in Canada with good health and rewarding careers. However, all of us know of a family member or friend that has been touched in some way by mental illness. We decided to dedicate our climb to rasing money for Laing House. We are proud to say that we achieved all of our goals. We returned home safely; we raised over $117,000 for Laing House, almost twice our original goal; and we all summitted on Sept 18. The trip was certainly a challenge but many of us say it was the trip of a lifetime in spite of the fact that all of us have travelled extensively. However, the last word belongs to the most famous African, Nelson Mandela, who said, "After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb".

About Laing House

Laing House is a support centre for youth living with mental illness. It is a youth-driven and community-based organization where young people between 16 and 30 years of age, who are living with a mental illness, can get the support they need to rebuild their lives. Since opening in 2001, Laing House has assisted over 300 youth from across the Maritimes. There are currently 100 members of Laing House. Programs, including employment, healthy living, education, and peer and family support, help youth recognize and develop their own strengths, talents and resources in a welcoming, respectful and collaborative environment. Laing House is the first of its kind in Canada.

The supportive environment of Laing House allows youth and staff to build meaningful relationships. They work together to create personal development, community education, and advocacy programs. These experiences and opportunities provide youth with support and resources to further educational and vocational paths. They develop the life skills needed to form relationships, secure safe housing, and experience hope for their futures. A variety of unique programs and services are employed to attain these goals. Laing House looks forward to a day where the stigma surrounding mental illness has dissipated and there is equal opportunity for all.

Thank you to all Laing House supporters!

The support that Laing House has received as a result of this climb has been fantastic. We wish to express our gratitude to all of you. Like all charities, Laing House feels the impact of the recession. The extra funds raised as a result of this climb will provide Laing House with the resources to continue to serve young people struggling with mental health issues. Thank you!

Sept 11 – the Climb Begins

Hans, Dani, Henry & Rena had been in Moshi for 4 days and nights and had not yet seen the mountain. Kilimanjaro rises out of the Serengeti at 3,000 & 4,000 ft of elevation, to a height of 19,300 ft. The mountain makes its own weather. There is often a ring of cloud from 5,000 to 10,000 ft making it very difficult to see the mountain from Moshi.  On Friday morning the sky cleared and we could see the mountain for the first time. 



The guides and our transport vehicle arrived. The vehicle was a German made troop transport vehicle manufactured in 1983. We were ready to tackle the climb and posed in front of the vehicle.



















We weren’t on the road for very long when Paula announced that it was David’s birthday, so we all sang happy birthday.



We drove for about 2 hours and stopped in a local village to wait for the porters, many of whom come from small villages around Moshi to meet in this location. We immediately became a hit with the local kids.



Dani decided to teach the local kids to count in English. Check out the video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yZ2xQwroKc

We continued towards the gate. It got dustier and dustier. We could see wildebeest and zebras as we drove across the savannah.






The final hour of driving was very rough and dusty, but we finally arrived at the gate ready to really start the climb. We were on the dry side of the mountain, during the dry season during a drought. The climb throughthe rain forest was very beautiful, with no bugs.



After 4 hours of climbing we arrived at Big Tree camp. Our tents, the mess tent and the toilet tent, a real luxury on the mountain, were ready to go. Everyone was in great shape. Total climbing time: 4 hours.





Posted by The Kili Team

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