Do you have what it takes for Kilimanjaro 2011?

In July 2009, MH took a group of 40 brave and adventurous souls over to Africa to scale the peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro. Raising money for children in Gaza, our trekkers climbed almost 20,000 feet over the course of 7 days and raised a phenomenal £120,000 to pave a future for war-torn Gaza.

In July 2010, MHs took a group of 42 strong trekkers over to Africa to scale the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. Raising money for children in Afghanistan, our trekkers climb almost 20,000 feet over the course of 6 days and raised £140,000 to established Mobile health clinic and support in Psycho-social rehabilitation centre in Afghanistan.

This year we return to the highest free standing mountain in the world and are focused on raising money for the forgotten children of Afghanistan. Almost three decades of conflict have ravaged this nation and with your energy and enthusiasm- you can help transform lives...and also have the adventure of a lifetime.

Kilimanjaro Gallery 2010

Where your money went in 2010

• Urgent medical treatment for the country’s forgotten children

  With access to reliable healthcare extremely limited in Afghanistan, children who are maimed or injured as a result of war often bear the agony of their condition with minimal treatment or intervention. In some cases this can lead to a small injury or condition becoming much more and in most cases children are left with no option but simply to live and ‘get by’ with the variety of injuries they suffer from.

  With our long term partners at the University Hospital of Jalalabad- a city to the east of Kabul- MH Afghanistan carried out a physical treatment programme specifically for children physically affected by the war. This treatment programme runs in the province of Nangahar and provides 90 injured children with essential prosthetic operations which include limb replacement for children injured by landmines or conflict.

  The programme also provides 100 children with urgently-needed orthopaedic operations. Further to this, 150 children with be given regular physiotherapy to learn to use their young bodies with confidence again. For the many children who experience poor circulation and stiffness throughout their bodies, part of the treatment programme provides olive oil massages to help children make pain-free and unrestricted use of their limbs once more.

  With many scars of war hidden, children in Afghanistan often lack the most simple pleasures of childhood.

  As is the case around most of the world, playing sports is an increasingly popular pastime in Afghanistan, especially for children who thrive off the teamwork and competition element. In recent years, cricket has particularly become the country’s favourite sport and is a growing passion for many children- regardless of gender or age. It is no surprise then that ‘sport interventions’ are being used in post-conflict areas as a non-medical and secure means of trauma relief for children.

  

  Conditioned by an environment of uncertainty and insecurity of war, engaging with other children in team sport has a tremendous power in stress-relief and anxiety. MH Afghanistan gave these children scheduled activities where players were put into teams, given special ‘kits’ and set up in tournament styles. With great camaraderie and team spirit, the tournament days were a desperately needed break from the quiet routine of the children’s lives. Following the days out, children came back more relaxed and open about their internal issues and with new friendships built, you could already see the positive benefits of activities like this which are greatly underrated.

  Working with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and the University Hospital of Jalalabad and the Afghan Cricket Board, Muslim Hands carried out three projects spanning 6 provinces of Afghanistan. MH Afghanistan ran two sports programmes: a cricket programme for the boys and girls.

  A total of 960 students from 64 different schools across the country participated in the sports tournament in Kabul Olympic stadium giving the children the opportunity to play on the same grounds as many of their heroes. By providing the children to the opportunity to travel to Kabul and play at the national stadium, the children said they felt like they were given a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity and lifelong memories.

  Muslim Hands has also provided the 64 teams will full cricket equipments including bats wickets balls and a full cricket kit; these kits will provide the teams a long term ability to carry on playing cricket and hence long term psychosocial care. The girls sports programme held two sports tournaments for badminton and volleyball. This consisted of 32 teams playing in the two tournaments in Kabul; with all the teams being provided with sports equipment and social doctors to interact with the children at the tournament.

Find out more

Taking place from July 13th - June 23nd 2011, the sponsored trek will take a group of the walkers to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Set across the stunning Serengeti plains, participants will be signing up to an experience of a lifetime. This 10 day trek will raise money for the worldwide maternal health — an annual Muslim Hands initiative supporting lives of new and expectant mothers in developing countries.

To sign-up for further information email kilimanjaro@muslimhands.org with your name, address and telephone number.

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