Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Experiencing the life of an orphan at the Dar-ul-Muslimeen Orphanage

After the 3 hour bus ride, the Peak 4 Poverty team finally arrived at the Dar-ul-Muslimeen orphanage to be greeted with the cheerful faces of 34 children. The team had been up and about since dawn, eager to hit the road to Morogoro where we would be spending two days volunteering at the orphanage. We arrived at the orphanage close to noon, and were immediately ushered in to the living room where we gathered together to recite a prayer of hope. After the Peak 4 Poverty team introduced themselves, each child shared a few words by stating their name, grade and their performance in school.
Once we had exchanged introductions, we all came together to recite our afternoon prayers. The older boys led the prayers while the younger ones followed behind. I couldn’t help but smile at the unity and togetherness among the children.

 We spent the next couple of hours playing board games and socializing with the children. Upon hearing the call for lunch (the clanking of a spoon against a metal piece), the children grabbed their plate and assembled near the kitchen entrance to receive a piece of ugali, a famous East African flour cake, which was served with beans stew and spinach.

 After enjoying a hearty meal together, we split the children in to three age groups and spent the rest of the afternoon coloring, drawing and writing essays.
We concluded the evening with a game of soccer at a nearby field. Soccer is a common passion among the children and they were all delighted to share their passion for the sport with us. After a delicious meal, the older boys settled in the living room to watch a movie. The younger kids where tucked into bed.

            We woke up the following morning to the sounds of the children sweeping the floors and washing the clothes. It was 6 AM and all the kids were already busy finishing their chores. The youngest child, 4-year old Karimu, was walking around the foyer with a toothbrush in his hand, looking for his slippers. He finally found his shoes and started walking towards the common washing area to brush his teeth. I noticed he had worn the left slipper on the right foot and vice versa. I went over to him and put him on my lap where I switched his slippers. He was the most adorable child I had ever seen, always smiling and cheerful. He went off to brush his teeth on his own and watching him made me realize that most 4 year olds are busy playing with their toys, pampered by their parents while here, Karimu had his arm outstretched, trying to reach the tap to rinse his mouth.
            Once the chores were done, we all grabbed a plate and cup and waited in line to get a slice of bread and tea from dada (which means sister in Kiswahili). We all ate to our hearts content, enjoying the chit chatter among the kids. After finishing their meal, each child would wash their plate and cup and return it in the kitchen. The most heart-wrenching moment was watching young Karimu scrubbing his plate. How often do you see a 4 year old child fetch his own plate, feed himself and then wash the utensils?
Before setting off to hike up the mountain, the Peak 4 Poverty team distributed water bottles to all the children. We also gave the younger kids beach balls.The smile on their faces on receiving the beach balls was simply heart-warming.  The little things make such a huge difference in the lives of these children.
Water bottles in hand, we started our hike up the mountain and after several detours, we finally caught a glimpse of our destination- a beautiful   water fall which was perfect for taking a dip. The boisterous kids kicked their shoes off and jumped into the water, where they spent a few hours swimming and playing. Some of the younger boys would slide down the rocks into the water and listening to their shrieks of laughter and joy brought a smile to my face. The hike back to the orphanage was less entertaining as most of the children were tired and hungry.
      After a hearty meal that consisted of goat meat, ugali and spinach, we all gathered in the living room to say our farewells. After reciting a prayer of hope, one of the guardians gave a speech of appreciation. The moment we were dreading the most had arrived- having to say our goodbyes to the kids. We shook hands and hugged the kids, promising to return soon to spend time with them. The Peak 4 Poverty team piled in to the piki piki, a 5-wheeled vehicle owned by the orphanage, and waved goodbye for the last time as we drove through the gates of the Dar-ul-Muslimeen orphanage. 

Written by: Leila Datoo

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Happy Father's Day!!

Peak 4 Poverty would like to wish all the fathers out there a Happy Father's Day!! As you spend quality time with your father this weekend and spoil him with amazing gifts, please remember those children who don't have a father to hug like Mohammed Said.



Mohamed Said, 22, has lost his entire family to AIDS.  His story is one of many devastating losses over the course of his childhood years.  When he was very young Mohamed lost his birth mother to AIDS. His father remarried but his second, and then third wife were also infected with the AIDS virus and also passed away. When Mohammed needed to receive a blood transfusion due to a life threatening medical situation, Mohamed’s father donated blood  to save his life. Without advanced medical technology to screen the blood, the HIV virus was unknowingly transmitted to his son.  Mohammad’s father has since passed away from AIDS and his guardianship was taken over by his grandparents.  Currently, Mohammed is striving hard to earn his Bachelor Degree in Teaching at Eckenford Teachers College in Tanga. During the week days, he spends his day studying hard in college while at night he sleeps on the floor at a friend’s place. He is attempting to conserve transportation cost and travel time between the location of his school and his grandparents’ house. Ever since entering the Peak 4 Poverty program Mohammed has excelled at his studies and is eager to earn his teaching degree. Peak 4 Poverty is very proud of this young man and his accomplishments as he will become one of our first scholarship recipients to earn his college degree next year!  Way to go Mohamed!

Above story was in our latest newsletter. Click here to view the newsletter.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Leila and Fayaz take on Kili - May 2011

May 23rd

 Less than 48 hours to go before we start our ascent to the top of Africa!!!  Fayaz and I are bouncing off the walls as we make the final preparations before we set off to Moshi, Tanzania.  We have made the final checks of our gear and have ended up with a small list of items that we need to get – mainly energy supplements.

The shuttle service that will take us from Nairobi to Moshi has also been confirmed.  We set off from Nairobi at 7.45am on our 8 hour ride to Moshi.  On Wednesday May 25th, we start our climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro!

We are on an adrenaline high as we prepare for the most challenging experiences of our lives.

More to follow from Moshi….!!!


May 25th- 


Finally at Machame gate! It is so misty that we cannot see anything beyond 50 meters. We were hoping to get a glimpse of the mountain on our way to the gate entrance, but to no avail. I guess we will first see the peak when we are actually standing on it! More to follow from our first base camp…

1st camp – Machame hut – check!

We started our hike with a zslight drizzle which faded quickly. We met a group of about 100 hikers from Mexico and the US that kept us entertained with their lively banter as they tried to teach the porters Spanish. Several of the hikers sang the famous local song ‘Jambo, jambo bwana…..’ as they climbed their way up. The hike was fairly easy with some muddy spots that I always ended up walking right into. 4.5 hrs later, covered halfway down in mud, we arrived at our first camp site. After checking in, we were welcomed with a hot cup of chai and freshly made popcorn. Shortly after, we had a hearty dinner that consisted of soup, steak, rice and fruit. We were still very energetic and excited as we both settled into what would be the most challenging 6 days to come. After appreciating the beautiful star-filled skies, we decided to call it a night. As I tried to get comfortable in my sleeping bag, I couldn’t help but smile as I thought of what the next few days had in store for us.

May 26th

We were awoken by our ever cheerful server, Joseph, who had a bowl of hot water for us to freshen up with. After a delicious meal of Spanish omelet, sausages and bread, we set off for Shira hut.

2nd camp – Shira hut – check!

The hike from Machame hut to Shira hut was more exhilarating than day 1. Our hike was uphill most of the way, ascending up rocks and boulders. About an hour into the hike, we finally saw the spectacular view of the peak. It was absolutely stunning! It was partially covered in snow and glistened in the sun. It looked deceivingly close and I couldn’t help but laugh when Fayaz said that it felt like it was a stone-throw away. We stopped to have our packed lunch and continued our way up. We passed a short waterfall and I decided to take the guide’s advice and cool off by standing right underneath it. Boy was it cold! He had a good laugh at my expense as I stood there rooted to the spot. After hiking for about 3 hrs, we finally saw a bed of tents signaling our arrival at the camp.
After freshening up, we had some tea and biscuits. We had the rest of the afternoon to laze around. 3600 meters up and surrounded by vast openness, the temperature at Shira was close to freezing. We were almost always engulfed by clouds and when the sun set, the temperatures dipped to below freezing. We had a magnificent view of Mt. Meru and enjoyed the sun set as we wolfed down pasta with mince meat. After a hot cup of tea, we waited for the stars to appear before turning in for the night.

May 27th

We awoke to the cheerful voice of Joseph letting us know that our hot water bowl was ready. After a hot meal of eggs and chapatti, we set off to Barranco camp. After hiking up for about 4 hrs, we reached the Lava tower which stood at 4100 meters. We were able to get a quick glimpse of the entire tower before the top half got covered in clouds. The temperature at the tower was close to freezing and we had to layer up before sitting at the base of the tower to enjoy our packed lunch. We were quite surprised to see mice scurrying around at the bottom of the tower. Fayaz almost dropped his lunch when a mouse jumped on his back. We quickly moved to a spot further away from the rodents.
After lunch, we had a 2 hr hike down the side of the mountain. After hiking up for 4 hrs, the descent down to Barranco was quite welcoming. On our descent, we came across some interesting trees. My oxygen-deprived brain cannot remember the name of the trees. Barranco camp was located at the edge of the mountain with a beautiful view of the peak.

May 28th

The hike from Barranco camp to Karanga was by far the most adventurous and exhilarating. We started off by hiking up the side of the mountain, on all fours, as we hugged the rocks and boulders. One wrong step meant falling off the edge. We hiked up for about 2 hrs before coming down the side of the mountain to our campsite. Sleeping at a lower altitude was essential in helping us acclimate. We were welcomed by a hot lunch of fried chicken and fries. I don’t think fries have ever tasted as good as they did that day! At 4100 meters, the temperatures after sunset plummeted to below freezing. Even with three layers of clothing, I shivered in my sleeping bag as I tried to fall asleep. The guides and porters were busy listening to a live commentary of the Barcelona – Manchester United game on radio. Our guide, Ibrahim, was rather disappointed with the outcome of the game.

Tonight was the last full night of sleep before we make it to the summit.

May 29th

We woke up to a sunny morning with clear skies. We had a stunning view of the peak and enjoyed a hearty breakfast out in the sun. The hike up to Barafu camp took us about 2 hrs. As the name suggests, the camp is almost always freezing. At 4600 meters, the campsite is almost always engulfed in clouds. We were going to spend the rest of the day relaxing here before we started our hike to the summit later that night. After and early dinner, we managed to rest for a few hrs.

At 11:30 PM, we were awoken by Joseph to start preparing for the hike up to the summit. After a hot cup of tea and biscuits, we started our final ascend to the top of Africa. The wind was absolutely merciless and even with three layers of clothes, a ski jacket, gloves and a ski cap, we still shivered as we slowly made our way to the top. All you could see was a trail of head lamps as all the hikers made their way up. Due to the cold and wind chill, several hikers succumbed to the dreadful weather and decided to return to camp. Others were forced to abandon the hike due to altitude sickness. After hiking up for about 3 hrs, the exhaustion and cold began to sink in. Every step forward was a huge effort. Nikodamus, my guide, kept encouraging me to continue and after another 2 hrs, we finally reached the base of Stella which stands at about 5700 meters. The hike up to the top of Stella was slow and arduous. We finally reached the top of Stella at about sunrise and enjoyed the spectacular view of the glaciers surrounding the peak. I continued my way up and after another half hour, I was finally at Uhuru, 5895 meters high. On May 30th 2011 at 7:00 AM, I was standing on the highest point in Africa!







Monday, May 30, 2011

Day 6 - On top of Africa

We have limited information at this point. The team set for the summit at midnight - and  made it to the summit!! More details will be posted when the team arrives back in Moshi within the next 24 hours! Stay tuned!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Day 5 - ready for the roof!!

Quick update from the mountain - Team has made it to base camp (Barafu) and everyone is healthy. Leila and Fayaz are a little tired - but very up beat and ready to conquer the mighty Kili. In approximately 3 hours, the team set off for the summit. Keep the team in your prayers.

More soon!!

Day 5 - ready for the roof!!

Quick update from the mountain - Team has made it to base camp (Barafu) and everyone is healthy. Leila and Fayaz are a little tired - but very up beat and ready to conquer the mighty Kili. In approximately 3 hours, the team set off for the summit. Keep the team in your prayers.

More soon - as we find out

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Day 3 and Day 4 - Is Africa's cold really tame?

We have made it to Karanga camp on Day 4 after the great Barranco wall (I will blog about that when I am back down). All has been well - getting glimpse of the summit onces in a while. Snow-capped, Kili stands magestic as ever. I hope the Mountain let's us experience the sunrise on the roof of Africa! The crew at camp is healthy with high spirits. The food is awesome - we just had fried chicken with fries. I need to talk to the chef to find out how he can make such delicious food where there are no basic amenities like running water and electricity at 15,000+ feet altitude.

We have missed the rain - but it has been freeeeezzzziinggg at night. I thought being from Chicago, the cold would be tame here. That hasn't been the case - getting sleep at night has been a premium. We head to base camp (Barafu) in the morning. Then off to the summit at midnight - tomorrow is a huge day and Fayaz and I need all your support and prayers we can get!

More later - some sleep right now. :)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Day 2 - Shira camp ...check!

The word from the team is that they have made it to Shira Camp (camp 2). Everyone is up beat and healthy. More from Kili as soon as we connect with them!!

Go team!!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Day 1 - no view yet!

After a good night sleep at the Sal Saneiro hotel in Moshi, Fayaz and I are eagerly awaiting for our guide. Moshi is absolutely gorgeous with the lush greenery and prominent mountain ranges. Looking at the overcast skies, it seems like we will be hiking in our rain great for a good  fraction of the day. We simply can't wait to start out start our climb. More to follow once we get to our first base camp!!!

Update: Finally at the Machame gate! It is so misty that we cannot see anything beyond 50 meters. We were hoping to get a glimpse of the mountain on our way to the gate entrance, but no avail. I guess we will first see the peak when we are actually standing on it! More to follow from the first camp.

Keep tuned.. more fun to come..

- Leila and Fayaz (Kili 2011)

Monday, May 23, 2011

48 hours to go - we are on an adrenaline high!!

Less than 48 hours to go before we start our ascent to the top of Africa!!!  Fayaz and I are bouncing off the walls as we make the final preparations before we set off to Moshi, Tanzania.  We have made the final checks of our gear and have ended up with a small list of items that we need to get – mainly energy supplements.

The shuttle service that will take us from Nairobi to Moshi has also been confirmed.  We set off from Nairobi at 7.45am on our 8 hour ride to Moshi.  On Wednesday May 25th, we start our climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro!

We are on an adrenaline high as we prepare for the most challenging experiences of our lives.

More to follow from Moshi….!!!

- Leila and Fayaz

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Peak 4 Poverty banner on top of Kili!

We made it!! Tough day...Great accomplishment to start the year on top of Kili to help educate orphans and eradicate extreme poverty.

This climb is dedicated to all our supporters, volunteers and team - Happy New Year!