At the end of September I will be setting off with 5 amazing, intrepid women to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At 5,895m (19,341 feet), it is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world! I am very excited about this, and also slightly dreading it. We will give it our absolute best shot, and hopefully all will go well.

We have chosen to go with a company called Wander Women, the only all-female owned and guided tour agency at Mount Kilimanjaro and one of very few in the whole of southern Africa. Despite legal advances in gender equality in Tanzania, the reality is that Tanzanian women face discrimination, oppression and exploitation. Particularly in rural areas, gender roles are still very traditional. Women are supposed to stay at home and take care of the family, livestock and garden, while the men go out and work. Only sons and brothers inherit land from their father because girls are expected to marry, leave their family and move to their husband’s house. Happily, society is slowly changing, with more girls getting an education and more women working outside the home which allows them to take care of their families financially in order to avoid hunger and poverty.

Ekeney Njau, founder and owner of Wander Women, started as a porter on Mount Kilimanjaro when she was 19 and worked her way through many hardships to become a Mountain Guide. She now dedicates herself to giving other women a chance to work their way out of poverty and oppression by offering fair jobs as porters, cooks and guides. She encourages and trains young women and reaches out to those in need, mainly around her home village of Machame. Many of the porters employed by Wander Women are single mothers working very hard to support their children as well as their parents and other elderly relatives.

Given that *everything* has to be carried up and down the mountain, a trek for 6 people requires 1 guide, 2 assistant guides, 1 cook, and 27 porters. These women do absolutely incredible work, and I would like to do my bit to support them by raising funds for the women of Machame which will go towards providing them with the same opportunities that their brothers have, and more choices than their mothers had. Any amount you are able to donate to help me with this is hugely appreciated.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, I will withdraw funds directly. It's the most efficient way to donate and saves time and costs.

Thank you, fabulous people!

Laura x