In the summer of 2008, I will be journeying to South Africa on a study abroad program through Michigan State University. After this program, I'm going to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain at 19,340 feet. Although I originally booked this trek as a personal endeavor, I have since decided to climb in an effort to bring some relief to the poverty in the region.

The goal of Kilimanjaro: Climbing to Cure (KCC) is to find sponsors for the climb and raise $14,000 to send a 40-foot container shipment of medical supplies to support the Gonja Lutheran Hospital, along with its regional health centers and dispensaries, in a rural area of northern Tanzania near Kilimanjaro. The hospital is in dire need of renovation and basic medical supplies. It supports a catchment area of 124,000 people, yet employs only two doctors and a total staff of forty-four.

The container shipment may include many types of medical supplies and equipment such as portable x-ray machines, ultrasound machines, operating tables and lamps, surgical kits, autoclaves, caps, gowns, gloves, needles, midwife kits, and palliative care kits, among other things.

By joining this group, you're helping to spread awareness about KCC and my climb. Donations can be made through the website below. Ask your parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins four times removed... spread the word!

Please invite all of your friends to join this group! (read less)

In the summer of 2008, I will be journeying to South Africa on a study abroad program through Michigan State University. After this program, I'm going to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain at 19,340 feet. Although I originally booked this trek as a personal endeavor, I have since decided to climb in an effort to bring some relief to the poverty in the region.

The goal of Kilimanjaro: Climbing to Cure (KCC) is to find sponsors for the climb and raise $14,000 to send a... (read more)