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From November 6-8, 2016, Team See Possibilities climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa at 19,341 feet. To raise awareness about blindness, the team decided to climb Africa’s tallest mountain “in the dark.” Typically a 5-8-day climb, the team completed the trek in 2 ½ days at night. This feat was covered in The Wall Street Journal and Men’s Journal.
▼ CONTINUE
While guiding Dan at night, we used headlamps and could see no more than 10 feet around us. This forced us to use our other senses and experience the mountain in an entirely new way.
At that altitude, the human body undergoes a great deal of duress, including headaches, nausea, exhaustion, extreme cold, and difficulty getting enough oxygen. We suffered from all these symptoms but with help from one another, and our experienced guide from our sponsor Intrepid Travel, we were able to reach the summit in the shortest amount of time allowed by safety guidelines. We were rewarded at the top with a stunning sunrise and the glistening snow of the surrounding glaciers.
Our mission as a team is to support children who are blind all around the world. There are many ways to do this. In addition to visiting schools that educate children with vision impairment, we also sensitize sighted children and adults to the remarkable contributions all people with disabilities can make to society. We hosted three local events:
Mwereni School
This school on the outskirts of Moshi, Tanzania provides a safe haven and wonderful learning environment for over 100 blind and albino children, many of whom are hidden, suffer discrimination, and even threats to their lives because of their disability. At our event, the children performed traditional songs and dances; the Director of the school delivered a moving speech highlighting Dan’s accomplishment as an example of the tremendous potential within every person; and each of us spoke about Team See Possibilities’ mission.
Education East Africa
Working with the Intrepid Foundation, we hosted an event attended by government officials from all over the region to support the development of a center that will provide vocational skills to get young people off the streets and into meaningful employment. In order to highlight the importance of trust and teamwork, we organized a blindfolded tug-of-war that generated a lot of laughs. In a way, by closing their eyes, this experience opened them to a new way of perceiving the world. After hearing Dan’s story, several government officials spoke movingly about how his words changed their perception of people with disabilities. They pledged to seek out ways to reduce discrimination and better integrate a population that has all too often been marginalized.
Destiny School in Mathare
Working with Futbol Mas, an organization that uses soccer as a tool to support vulnerable populations, we held an event for primary school children living in the heart of the Mathare slum, a part of Nairobi notorious for its extreme poverty and desperation. Using Dan’s historic accomplishment on Mount Kilimanjaro as an example, we encouraged each child to keep hope alive, even in the most desperate of circumstances. Through blindfolded relay races and soccer games, the children learned what it’s like to lose your sight and to depend on friends for help. Each child promised to help people with disabilities in their community, and not give up on their own dreams, seeing what is possible.
We would like to thank Intrepid Travel for partnering with us as our lead worldwide travel sponsor. Intrepid's support in 2015 helped make our Machu Picchu attempt possible, and their team on the ground in Tanzania and Kenya are already working with us to make our summit attempt as safe as possible!
