A lot of people have asked why I wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
My answer is simple, I wanted to have a renewed reference point of difficulty and hardship. We all need an experience that we learn from and apply those lessons to our lives as we navigate through challenges.
I expected to learn a lot from the climb, but I discovered much more than I could have ever imagined. It is definitely something I would recommend other people do at least once in their lives. The unique thing about the lessons is that you can only learn them when you are out there in the wild, experiencing everything first hand and navigating through challenges as you go. One cannot learn these things in class. You have to participate, and fully immerse yourself into the adventure.
There is so much I could talk about, but here are the lessons I would like to highlight.
1. Keep moving, Don’t ever STOP!
When you are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, there is a slogan that you will hear again and again. Everyone there says the Swahili word “pole pole” which means slowly. While climbing, we walked very slowly and the guides made sure of it. At times, we would make very small steps which I would deem insignificant, and yet a few minutes later I would turn to look back and be amazed at how far we have come. It got me to thinking, the only way one would not make any progress towards their goal is if they stop moving. But no matter how slowly you move, eventually those steps add up and you get closer to where you are going. When working towards a big goal, how fast one goes is not very significant, as long as you eventually get to your destination. Some people went so fast and reached the summit at 7 am, I went much slower and got to the peak at 10 am, at the end of the day what mattered is the fact that we all made it.
2. There are kind people out there, know them, love them and appreciate them!
I didn’t expect to see that many people climbing. There were times when there was traffic on the mountain. We are all there working towards the same goal – getting to the summit. It was quite interesting to watch. I met people from all over the world, but the people I spent most of my time were the guides and porters. I became friends with all the wonderful people. 6 days of walking and camping together, gave us the opportunity to get to know each other, to talk about our families, our lives, and interests.
It was amazing to see random strangers hand me a snack when I was throwing up and encouraged me to keep going and not give up. I met people coming down from the summit, who stopped to speak to me and to assure me that I was getting so close. All these people really re-energized me and gave me hope to keep going. Never underestimate the power of words of encouragement.
3. We are all equal and different!
Doreen Kessy (middle) with her new friends
When I arrived in Moshi, I met four other people through the tour company I was using, and we all made a team. Two of them were a couple from Belgium, and the other two came from Singapore. We made a very diverse team and learned a lot about each other. Our cultural, social and even climate differences influenced our coping mechanisms and our speed. The Belgians go on skiing holidays often and hike quite often, for them it was as if they had already adapted to the climate and altitude. They walked much faster than the rest of us.
4. Honor your story!
I didn’t make it to Uhuru peak, which is the very top, but I’m so proud to have made it to Stella point, another summit point just before Uhuru. For a minute, I was tempted to beat myself about it, but after giving it much thought and analysing my efforts and health condition at the time, I discovered that I had not failed. I fought so hard to make it there until doing so posed danger to my well-being. So I’m proud to have made it so far and I embrace my achievements even if they are not so extraordinary to other people. I did my very best, and that is all that matters.
5. Go even if no one comes with you
I took months to plan the trip, and during this time I invited a few of my friends to join. But in the end, none of them was able to make it. Even though I was afraid to go climb the so-called “ Roof of Africa” by myself, I went anyway. I knew this was something I really wanted to do this year, and instead of waiting until I had friends joining, I went on with it. In life, there will be times, when no one else comes along with you. It could be to start a company or to relocate to another country or city. You have to search within yourself and figure out what it is that you really want and just go for it. Follow your dreams always and stay true to your goals and ambitions. Just do it!
6. Don’t give up just because some else does
When you are climbing, occasionally you meet people who have given up. If you are like me, you look at them and start to compare them to yourself. And slowly doubt begins to creep in, that maybe you won’t make it either. And maybe you should give up now, instead of waiting to fail later. I could hear a still small voice telling me to go back, when I saw a man, one who looked strong give up go down. Instead of entertaining this voice and believing it, I decided to leverage the opportunity and ask the man for his energy bars. I had forgotten mine at the camp and was running out of energy, I knew I needed them if at all I was going to make it to the top. He said, yes and I couldn’t thank him enough for his generosity. It paid off.
Live Life with Purpose
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNa7pD1x5YQ[/embedyt]
At Ubongo, we always try to encourage kids to develop character strengths that will help them achieve their goals throughout their lives. Climbing Kilimanjaro was an opportunity for me to ‘put my money where my mouth is’ and really prove to myself and others that if you have purpose you can do incredible things. Just like the Ubongo Kid’s song goes, “it makes the hard work worth it, if you live life with puuuurpose!”
