In July 2024, our family travelled to Africa and started with Ethiopia where we visited the Tigray region, Axum and the rock churches, We then continued through Nairobi and Amboseli, and culminated in a seven-day climb of Mount Kilimanjaro on the Rongai route. We reached the summit on 26 August 2024 as part of a group that included three Explorers Club families, Tim Challen, and members of the Kilimanjaro Initiative.

The climb was both an adventure and a learning experience. Along the route, the children carried out simple medical observations, including blood pressure and PCO readings, adding a scientific element to the expedition and making the mountain a place of curiosity as well as endurance.

The wider journey made the climb even more memorable: wildlife in Amboseli with Kilimanjaro on the horizon before the ascent, and Zanzibar afterwards for recovery and scuba diving. The expedition also connected with the work of Tim Challen, whose Kilimanjaro Initiative has used the mountain since 2006 as a platform for youth leadership and community engagement in East Africa.