Kilimanjaro climbers kick off a deluge of celebrity visits to Washington.
CLIMBER BLOG: Elizabeth Gore
FROM TANZANIA TO ETHIOPIA
Coming off the high of summiting Kilimanjaro, a group of SOTSK climbers loaded a plane, not home to the comfort of the US, but to Ethiopia. Exhausted, sore and bruised, Kenna, Jessica, Santi and I wanted to see firsthand why we just endured a 19,340 foot ascent (and descent).
Arriving in Addis Ababa, we were greeted by our very own village elder, Dr. Zemedkun (Kenna’s dad) and Kenna’s sister, Emerald. It seemed so appropriate to go full circle to where the SOTSK project was born - in the Zemedkun family homeland. On Friday the 15th, we woke early to participate in a site visit hosted by my organization, the UN Foundation. We boarded a small (really small) plane to head west to Jijiga, one of the driest places in the world. Looking out of the plane, I did not see one river, lake or reservoir. Heading into the landing, it took two passes to finally hit the dirt air strip. I should have known something was up when the pilot said out loud, “I wonder if they are going to move the camels off the runway,” before we touched down. Hundreds of curious onlookers rushed the plane as we waited for the UN vehicles to find our exact location. Our guides for the day, UNHCR, the United Nation’s High Commission for Refugees and a beneficiary of SOTSK, would show us the way into the heart of this area, the Kebribeyah refugee camp.
The UNHCR is responsible for 40 million displaced people around the world, half of which do not have adequate access to clean water. The camps they run in Ethiopia are some of the most desperate. Arriving in Kebribeyah, we viewed the Jarrar water supply system that is run by UNHCR, supplying water for both refugees and local Ethiopian people. Prior to the water system being in place, these people lived on a few liters of water per day, which is barely living, while the current system managed by the UNHCR and the local government provides 12 to 15 liters per day per person and for life supporting livestock. The system needs an upgrade to reach the UNHCR minimum standard of 20 liters per person per day. Our technical water engineer and UNHCR employee, Anthony, gave Kenna the financial details needed for the system so we could ask you - the public - to help us fund the upgrade.
Leaving the system, we drove the long, bumpy road to the refugee camp. Our first stop was to visit with a Somali refugee committee which was the first ever headed by a woman. Her initial words resonated with us. “I was never born to be a refugee. We are human beings too.” Although they have water points, we learned of their need for more water in the camps. Then Dr. Zemedkun told the story of the summit group conquering Kilimanjaro for clean water which resulted in a thunderous applause. The group welcomed us to their camp and the primary school, the true highlight of the day. The students exuded hope and confidence for their future. We glanced at each other in that school room and knew that we had to give water to those kids so they could achieve their dreams. Walking through camp, Jessica and I spent time with two women in their homes which were made of wooden sticks, old t-shirts and mud floors. The women told us of their need and how much better life was now that UNHCR has put a water source within 200 meters of their home. Now they hope for up to 20 liters per day per child. Our entire SOTSK team was overwhelmed by the resilience of these people. All they have is each other and their hope to return home, to Somalia, some day. The least we can provide them is safe water. The clinic in the camp sees a lot of water borne diseases, especially the children. This day provided a deep education for us regarding the need for clean water, but also about the solutions that are sustainable.
After thanking the UNHCR, we loaded the plane. I immediately noticed how incredibly quiet everyone was on the SOTSK team. Then one by one each person would mention to me their hope to support the people we saw. How can we bring water to 600,000 people in the most barren part of Africa? With you! We know the solution - we saw it firsthand. We just need your help. Send water today to www.summitonthesummit.com.
- Elizabeth Gore
The Collective Will of The SOTSK 45
Something special happened between January 7th, when 45 of us, mostly strangers, took our first steps on the trail and January 12th, when we set out on that same trail, in the middle of the night, to climb to the summit…
In those days between, the 45 of us became one. Unspoken, but felt by everyone…a desire for all of us to make it to the top. No one wanted to be the one who didn’t make it…but even more important, everyone wanted everyone else to make it.
We were climbing for all those without access to clean water, we were climbing for Kenna, we were climbing for ourselves, our friends and family, and we were climbing for all of you who followed us this week…
For some it was relatively easy, for others it was the most grueling physical experience of their lives. We plodded through cold, wind and snow and 7 hours after we set out for the summit, all 45 of us were united at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, 19,340 feet above Africa.
Kenna’s What If — a Summit on the Summit — became reality.
Had we been climbing as individuals, several of us might not have made it this time. Our guides were shocked, telling us they’d never seen a group as large as ours pull off 100% summit success on the route we climbed.
And as we stood on the summit sharing hugs and tears, we bore witness to the power of our collective will, having driven each other not just to a higher physical location but to a heightened state of mind.
We all have mountains to climb in our lives. You don’t have to climb yours alone. So rally your own team and see what happens when your climb’s fueled by the collective will of a group.
- Jay Lavender
The SOTSK 45
Kenna
Dr. Greg Allgood
Bernise Ang
Melissa Arnot
Jessica Biel
Jason Blackburn
Mike Bonfiglio
Nikki Bottolene
Jimmy Chin
Joanna Cichocki
Katie Cordes
Alexandra Cousteau
Artur Dziewecynski
Kristin Ethridge
Shannon Ethridge
Brooke Fedro
Elizabeth Gore
Thomas Grimshaw
Eric Guichard
Kent Harvey
Thomas Holden
Simon Isaacs
Emile Hirsch
Lupe Fiasco
Marcin Kapron
Lewis Kay
Kick Kennedy
Jay Lavender
Ray Leakey
Manuel Linnig
Isabel Lucas
Ivan Maucuit
Travis Miller
Rachel Morrison
Michael Muller
Eddie O’ Connor
Nick Pacelli
Dave Ruddick
Cherie Silvera
Antoine Struys
Jason Walsh
Chris Weil
Santigold
Justin Wilkes
Bill Winters
CLIMBER BLOG: Santigold
WHY I JOINED SOTSK
I came on the climb for several reasons. Kenna first mentioned it to me a long time ago as a very loose idea. He said he was going to climb Kili and I was going to come. It sounded fun, so I said yes. But then I didn’t think about it for awhile. Later, Kenna told me the climb was going to be for the global clean water crisis and it made me even more interested. I didn’t know much about the issues, but the little bit I knew was reason enough. I didn’t train as soon as I would have liked, so I started to get a bit scared about whether or not I would be prepared in time. Kenna could sense my apprehension and started telling me it was no big deal…that the climb was like a “2 on a treadmill.” I can assure all of you, that this is definitely MUCH tougher than a 2 on a treadmill! So he tricked me a bit, but it made me more confident to come and I’m so thankful I’m here!
Another reason that it’s appealing to me to do something like this is because the state of American culture is so upsetting to me right now, especially as an entertainer. The stupid shit that takes up so much of your time…the menial things that don’t mean anything. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t deal with all the extra. People are famous for sex tapes and having too many kids. Red carpets create an atmosphere where people feel they have to have plastic surgery to be beautiful or feel awful if they don’t. And if you’re a kid growing up in that world, you don’t know to have any interest or initiative to find out about things other than Octomom, Sweet 16 and the Kardashians.
But it’s a new year and a new decade and it’s a great opportunity for entertainers and influencers to bring back some old values. And the great response we’ve gotten so far shows that people are interested in things that are substantive and truly important if and when they are exposed to them. I saw SOTSK as an opportunity to stop complaining about what I didn’t like and take steps to help make the world more the way I’d like it to be.
If the trip were to end today, other than the symbolic act of reaching the summit on behalf of those who don’t have clean water or are dying of waterborne diseases, I’d feel that I’ve already achieved my goals on the trip of learning more about the global water crisis…
Imagine if a 747 filled with kids crashed into a mountain every two hours of every day and you’d have a sense of how many kids are dying from lack of clean water.
The demonstration of PUR at the village visit showed how much an individual can do with little effort, how something so simple as adding a PUR packet to contaminated water (virtually a chlorine compound) can save lives. And it doesn’t seem very difficult to get the message out so I’d like to spread the word on how critical the issue is and how simple the solution can be!
- Santigold
