Tanzanian Children's Fund Inc.
If you happen to know either of us, we’ve been pretty adventurous guys from the beginning. About 11 years ago, we met through our sons who became great friends in kindergarten. As coleaders of our sons’ cub scout troupe, we have been great friends ever since. We are adventure buddies, and we know if we ever want to try something completely out there, the other will never hesitate to join in. As we both close out on a half century, we wanted to do something big to mark the occasion, the biggest adventure we have ever embarked on. For the past few months, we have been training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this December and summit on Christmas morning. Our families have both been fortunate to provide our children with a safe home, food, and a great education as well as anything else they have needed along the way. Unfortunately, not everyone can say the same. There are so many children in this world with no food, no shelter, no family, and no proper education. Tanzania is giving us the adventure of a lifetime. It is going to be a life experience like we have never had before, and we really want to give back...
We are not mountain climbers, so why in the world are we climbing Mount Kilimanjaro?... Because it's there, of course! Also, because we are not getting any younger. Most importantly, we are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Tanzanian Children's Fund.
When we decided to take on Kilimanjaro, we knew that we didn't just want to simply fly in, drop our tourist dollars, and fly out. We wanted our efforts to provide a meaningful and lasting impact for the people of Tanzania who are permitting us to use their land and their mountain and are assisting us on our journey. For many, Kilimanjaro is a sacred place. The highest point on the mountain is Uhuru Peak, which means 'freedom' and ‘independence’. We hope to bring some freedom and independence back to some of the most vulnerable people in the region.
The Tanzanian Children's Fund is an absolutely amazing organization. When we spoke to the US Director for TCF, we were blown away by her stories. TCF's scope and impact have grown significantly over the past 20 years. Located in remote northern Tanzania, TCF addresses the challenge of generational poverty by providing a community of 10,000 access to quality education, compassionate medical care, economic opportunity, and a home for vulnerable children. Check out this video to see for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Symot0CWAnc
At 19,340 feet (5,895 meters) Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, the tallest free standing mountain in the world, and the 4th tallest of the 7 summits. Our goal is raise at least $19,340 dollars. Our corporate sponsor, ASML, has generously offered to match all ASML employee donations dollar for dollar per company guidelines. All donations will go 100% to the Tanzanian Children's Fund to benefit the impoverished community of the Oldeani Ward in remote northern Tanzania. No donated funds will be used for administration fees or for funding of our expedition.
Please help us in our mission to give back to the kids of Tanzania. After our climb, we hope to visit these children when our families join us in Tanzania, we will be sure to share our experience. Please donate now.
Thank you so much for your generosity! And wish us luck. We’ll need it…
Ken Bogursky and James Beaty
