Climbing high!

Four young adventurers will embark on a mountainous mission, scaling new heights to raise money for Save the Children, one of the international charities working with Syrian refugees in Jordan, writes Mai Al Khatib-Camille.

St Christopher’s School peers, Tarek Muhtadi, Houssein Nahle, Jake O’Neil, all aged 17, and Samer Ghalayini, 18, a University of California student, have flown out this week to Tanzania to climb the tallest free standing mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.

The initiative was prompted when the British curriculum school’s regular camping expedition, a part of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, did not go forward, leaving the teens to find an alternative route to satisfy their spirit of adventure.

Tarek, from Riffa, lived in Tanzania for two years and climbed Mount Meru, the second highest peak after Kilimanjaro, on a school expedition at the age of 13. He said: “The initiative to climb Kilimanjaro occurred when our Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition to Scotland did not go ahead as planned; consequently the idea to tackle a more serious and physically-demanding trek was spurred.”

Since moving back to Bahrain, Tarek has dreamed of returning to Tanzania to conquer Kilimanjaro, which stands tall at 5,895 metres. He then discussed his desire with his friends Jake and Houssein who were eager to join him.

Houssein, from Saar, has family living in Nigeria and liked the idea of returning to Africa for the challenge.

As for Jake, from Adliya, he is looking forward to walking in his mum’s footsteps. Housewife Tessa, 49, made the incredible trek four years ago to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London.

Tarek’s cousin, Samer, who currently resides in the US, later joined in on the challenge to help those in need.

Tarek said a family friend had recently been working on the production of a documentary entitled Salam Neighbour which highlights the tragedy of the displaced children of Syria moving into Jordan’s refugee camp, Za’atari.

“All finance raised by the movie will go directly to three large charities working directly with the Syrian refugees, one of these being Save the Children. It immediately occurred to us that this would be a perfect charity to support too.”

Sponsorship funds raised will be used to help refugee children have a warmer winter when temperatures drop in the exposed camp.

The trek will take place over a seven-day period with the help of guides from Marangu Hotel where the boys will be staying to kick-start their expedition before camping in tents for the rest of the duration. The climbers aim to reach the summit on June 30 at sunrise before returning to Bahrain on July 2.

For the past couple of months, the boys have been in training for the physical and mental challenges the climb demands.

Meanwhile, Jake had created a fundraising page for Save the Children where readers can make donations. The group’s goal is to initially raise at least $5,000 (BD1,885) and raise awareness about the Syrian refugee crisis.

As of Sunday morning, the boys have raised $5,655 (BD2,132) and thanks to the positive response, have raised their goal to $10,000 (BD3,770).

The proud parents – Wael Ghalayini and Lina Muhtadi, Khaled Muhtadi and Lena Dajani, Tareq Nahle and Rola Fadlallah along with Dominic and Tessa O’Neil – are funding the entire trip covering accommodation, food and any unforeseen extras.

Before their adventure, Tessa and the other parents organised a gathering for the boys to meet former Kilimanjaro climbers to learn from their experiences.

Tessa said: “I was thrilled when my son told me he wanted to climb Kilimanjaro. During the dinner that we held, we invited friends Paul and Divina Altman and Bernadette McCann, who had climbed the mountain to share their wisdom.
 
 “What they are doing is fantastic. These guys have already achieved greatness by collecting more than their initial target.

“We’re really proud of the boys for taking on this challenge and I just know they’ll be so well supported and raise a lot for Save the Children.”

Tarek’s mother, Lena, a landscape and figurative artist, said: “Yes, I’m worried, but I have put my trust in their guides who have reassured me that their first concern is the boys’ safety. 

“This is an opportunity for them to be independent and to challenge themselves physically and mentally. When Tarek climbed Mount Meru, he said at the time that he felt different after the experience. He seemed more mature.

“The challenge to cope with the high altitude and a minus-25 degree Celsius temperature in Kilimanjaro will teach them to cope with stress, discomfort and fatigue.
 
“The physical challenge of the climb combined with the charity drive makes the expedition even more rewarding. If they can raise funds to help Syrian refugee children, then the trip will be worthwhile whether they summit Kilimanjaro or not.”

* To donate for the cause, visit www.crowdrise.com/savethechildren-syria/fundraiser/jakeoneil. To find out more about the documentary, visit www.livingonone.org/salamneighbor/