Seven Nepalis of all-women expedition scale Mt. Kilimanjaro

An all-women climbing team comprising seven Nepali climbers and three Africans reached atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa early Tuesday morning.

Members of the all-women climbers posing for photo before setting out of their expedition to Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. (Source: UN)

The expedition, supported by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Tanzania, is meant to highlight the importance of girls’ education and of school meals.

“We are on the top! Nothing is impossible if we struggle to pursue our dreams,” WPF press release quoted Nimdoma Sherpa, a former recipient of WFP school meals in Nepal, as saying after the ascent.

“Nimdoma is an example of what girls education can do,” said Shailee Basnet, the leader of the Nepali group, “We know there are many more Nimdomas around the world and we hope we can motivate them to achieve their dreams.” Basnet was among Nepali women who had scaled Mt. Everest in 2008.

The climbers began their ascent via the Machame route on 28 February and are due to climb back in the northern Tanzanian town of Moshi tomorrow. They are scheduled to visit schools around Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Moshi towns to share their stories and talk about the importance of education. nepalnews.com