The kids piled into the bus and sat atop gunnysacks filled with the onions, potatoes, rice, and other produce we’d eat as we trekked up Kilimanjaro’s slopes. Much preparation had preceded our departure. We spent many long weekend days trekking for hours in the mountains behind Songea to build up our stamina for the arduous trip, and made sure to eat nutritious foods in the days before so we’d have enough strength to complete the journey. Countless negotiations went into securing our right to climb, lodging and gear for the trip, with the biggest logistical hurdle being our transportation.

We first had to get the parents on board, and at first they really didn't understand why they should contribute money to send their kids across the country to climb a mountain, famous though it may be; what was the use? But when their kids started making the case, and they saw how much they wanted the experience, how low the cost would be, and how it might benefit their educations, parents voiced their support and contributed as much as they were able. Some gave money, some helped us cook the chapati and maandazi that we sold to raise money, and the trip got some momentum. All that we needed were the long walks into Matagoro Forest to get ourselves in shape and we could count down the days to our departure.

The kids were optimistic and bubbling with excitement as we left for Morogoro, our halfway point; there was one paved road in Songea and it led to Morogoro through the beautiful, cool air of the highlands along a route that meandered with the contours of the rolling hills. We passed through Njombe within 4 hours and Iringa at 7, the last town in the highlands before we began our descent down the sharp switchbacks to the oppressive heat of the valley.

Our bus broke down the first time in the heat of midday at the foot of the Udzungwa mountains, and as we waited for the engine to cool, baboons called nearby and the kids took advantage of the time to stretch their legs and pose for our first group photo underneath the shade of the van’s rear hatch. We were still optimistic that early in the trip, and the two hour delay only meant that we’d reach Mikumi National Park in the late afternoon, when the animals would begin to stir after resting out the afternoon heat. The road to Morogoro passes directly through the middle of this park, and we passed on a fortunate day. For the first time in their lives, our students saw the animals they’d only seen crudely drawn in textbooks, and which attract thousands of tourists annually. Their faces pressed against the windows on either side of the van, the students called out the animals names in Kiswahili as we spotted giraffe, gazelle, and a herd of elephants, with a baby following closely on the heels of its mother just feet away from where we’d stopped the van to watch: twiga, etc. Their excitement carried them into Morogoro where we slept soundly in preparation for our long arrival to Moshi.
The second day lacked the spectacular vistas of the first, but excitement built as our destination neared. Twelve hours north to Moshi and our first glimpse of the purple slopes of Kilimanjaro stretching impossibly high above Moshi Technical School, the school where we’d spend the night and pick up the shared equipment for the climb. Another group had just come off the mountain and the two groups of kids shared experiences, and anticipation built and the kids began to realize what all their work and training had been for, that they were about to experience something they’d never imagined. Continued...

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