I am a 22-year old Tanzanian living in South Africa. As my name implies, I am from the town of Moshi, and my village rests on the slopes of Kilimanjaro.
When I was four years old, we moved from Tanzania to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and eventually to Papua New Guinea, where we settled for the past 12 years. My family made a point of returning to Tanzania to visit our relatives every Christmas. As we approached Moshi, the mountain loomed dark and large ahead of us, and I would gaze disquietly at its hulking form. Kilimanjaro occupied the back of my mind, like some silent spirit, waiting to be addressed.
Years passed and the mountain and I never spoke. For a brief moment when I was 12, I ascended to the first hut, which lay slightly higher than my village. The contact awakened a in me a desire to better understand Kilimanjaro.
For me, Mount Kilimanjaro embodies an intimate knowledge of the beauty, difficulty, and purity of effort that is Tanzania. If only I could reach it, I would truly comprehend my country.
I met the rest of the climbers a mere one and a half months before the trip. It was a serendipitous encounter; we were connected through a mutual acquaintance. Our acquaintance mentioned to me that a group of ladies were about to summit Kilimanjaro, and I just knew that I had to meet them. One day in mid-June, I wandered timidly into the halls of Ort SA to introduce myself to the team leader, Robyn Smookler.
Ort Jet was hosting a press conference on that day, and the entire venue was bustling with preparation. Amidst the motion, Robyn sat with me and talked about the reason for the climb. We discussed topics ranging from teaching, women’s empowerment, and my great Grandfather, who was a village Chief in Moshi. After our conversation I felt more at home than ever.
That same day I met the rest of the team, and I began to appreciate just how much I could learn by undertaking this climb with them. I met Ort Jet at a period in my life when I was searching for something more - trying to reach further than what I am, to what I can be. When I saw this group of women, I recognized kindred spirits.
Mount Kilimanjaro has been waiting for us. It has stories to tell, and lessons to teach. Perhaps I was never ready to hear the mountain until this moment. Finally, I begin to stretch my muscles, to stretch my vision. As the ladies say: The mountain won’t get any smaller, but I can grow bigger.
by Noella Moshi
