Selection process begins July 4th at the Hilton Nairobi, and we are excited as all to get the interview process going as we have some very strong candidates both male and female. We are almost at our goal of 20 applicants. Here is a shot of Toby being interviewed by Citizen TV, Kenya’s fastest growing local television channel. Big thanks to Citizen TV for the news spot and interview! Toby is getting the word out about Expedition Everest and specifically asking local mountain climbing/adventure enthusiast to apply. We are looking for the best possible candidate who is courageous, and just as passionate about EE as we are… and we’re nearly there! The person who is selected by the committee will be on their way to train on Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. We wonder who is walking around Nairobi right now, not knowing that they soon will be picked to join the Adventure Challenge of a lifetime! But maybe they can’t get the idea of joining us out of their head—propelling them closer to being chosen. Hey—If you put it out to the universe, the universe responds! Good luck to all our interviewees!!
If you are a Kenyan citizen and harbor an ambition to climb Mount Everest apply at www.expeditioneverest.org — 2 days left!
Sunset on Mount Everest by Larry He on Flickr.
Okay, so you may be wondering, who is THIS guy, and what has he got to do with Expedition Everest?
He is Sibusiso Vilane, a man Nelson Mandela dubs a “real hero.” Former president Thabo Mbeki reveled in the pride felt by all South Africans upon the recognition of Sibu’s astounding feats: he has summited the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents- with a double summit of Mt. Everest from both the North and South sides-as well as reaching the North and South Poles on foot, the explorer’s ‘Grand Slam’! He is an inspiration to us all as he continues to set himself huge challenges, and does so with grace and always with a philanthropic goal in mind. In 2005, when he climbed Everest for the second time, he successfully raised $40,000 for children’s charities. Needless to say, he understands what drives us, just as we understand what drives him.
Naturally, we were anxious to have him on the selection committee that is tasked with finding the Kenyan climber who will join us on our 2014 climb to the top of Everest. We are thrilled that Sibusiso agreed to join us in Kenya this July to help us find the man or woman who will become our teammate! We could not be more pleased to be working beside him as we have a shared vision to change the world, one adventure at a time. Sibu says, “You’ve got to dream and then you have to set out to achieve that dream. There will always be challenges, but it’s about being persistent and not giving up.” We couldn’t agree more.
For more information on Sibusiso Vilane, visit his webpage at www.sibusisovilane.com
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one of our favorite quotes, spotted!
“IF YOUR DREAMS DO NOT SCARE YOU THEY ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH”
There is an orphan crisis in Kenya. Right now, there are 2 million children orphaned in Kenya, and approximately 60,000 of those children are in desperate need of help. Many of them are forced to forage the city’s garbage dumps for food, beg and steal as means to survive, and many female children are forced to live as prostitutes and slaves. Through our volunteer work we have seen first-hand the plight of the Kenyan child and the heart-wrenching inadequacies of their care. In traditional orphanages children often exist on subsistence diets, have little social development and no attachment, and receive poor education due to the lack of teachers and learning materials. It is no wonder that the cycle of poverty continues. These children are not given the critical tools needed to pull themselves out of this brutal self-sustained and systemic cycle.
It is our mission to ensure that the children we care for are given these tools and that they are equipped with the resources, which will allow them to build relationships, seek out opportunities, and, most importantly, recognize what they need to live a life of true fulfillment.
At Expedition Everest we will go to great heights - the greatest height! - to make sure our children do not have to face these challenges alone. We hope to show them what it takes to achieve fulfillment in one’s life, to demonstrate the courage it takes to commit to a goal and to chase it relentlessly, and to show that experiencing fear, self-doubt and enduring yet inevitable setbacks merely means you are on the right track. The summit beckons.
Himalayan Mountains. Photo: ESA
(Source: tinkidtourist)
Expedition Everest is a 501c3 non-profit organization with the mission to climb Mt. Everest in the Spring of 2014. It is an initiative to raise 2 million dollars for Flying Kites, our sister NGO, and to help the first Kenyan climber to reach Mt. Everest’s summit. Flying Kites is an organization that provides remarkable health care, housing, and education for Kenya’s most vulnerable children. As global citizens, we believe it is our responsibility and our heart’s work to create a sound support system for Kenya’s orphaned, abandoned, and abused children so that they are able to compete on a level global platform. By developing their imagination, resolution, and commitment we will help them to first identify and then to pursue their goals. It is our dream to one day be standing on the summit of Mt. Everest; we wish to show our children that no ambition is too lofty if you dare to start and are determined to finish. As each arduous step brings us closer to the summit, we will be raising awareness of the plight of the world’s most desperate children, and encouraging bold engagement from our readers, our sponsors, and our friends. As a community of those that have both the imagination to dream and the courage to dare, we will be able to change our reality, and the world.