By Daniel Ogetta

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A group of elderly Kenyans recently endured the harsh weather of Mt Kilimanjaro to hike to its top, to raise money to feed their peers living in abject poverty and hardships in the country.

Mama Ibado Charity (MIC), an outfit of senior citizens, through a campaign dubbed seniors four seniors, raised Ksh2.1 million ($20,000) that will go into feeding more than 1,000 vulnerable senior citizens from the initial 650 seniors they have been supporting.

With the aim of helping other senior citizens restore their dignity through impact projects such as feeding, housing and annual elderly medical camps, the group embarked on a five-day long hike to Africa's highest peak.

“It has been tough, challenging and gruelling to get to the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro,” the team leader said 

The team managed to scale 19,341ft to raise 42 per cent of their target Ksh5 million ($50,000) towards sustaining the lives of other less fortunate peers adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first phase of the campaign aimed at feeding the elderly in the region.

“Unlike the last time we were there and a number of us had to withdraw at some level, this time we were determined and persevered the tough winds of between 80 to 100 kilometres per hour,” said Col (Rtd) Hussein Farah.

The group aims to raise Ksh25 million ($250,000) through a month-long campaign that commenced on January 23.

“We want to reach out to more vulnerable senior citizens to improve their wellbeing and living standards as part of our big mission of restoring their dignity,” said Mama Ibado Charity Founder, Ahmed Jibril.