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Trek4Mandela team returns home

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The Trek4Mandela team has returned to South Africa on Friday night after conquering Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on Mandela Day.  They arrived back home at the O.R Tambo international airport.

The group of over forty professionals including an SABC journalist, Gillian Pillay and camera-man Thabo Madilola trekked the highest peak on the continent with more than half of them summiting.

The seventh annual climb was in support of vulnerable girls.

CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang says, “We super proud and we really happy that the team is back and that they are all safe and i think it again goes back to the message of service. That each one of them will continue to do something for another and we are grateful that the Kilimanjaro team is back home. Let’s keep girl children in school.”

More than half of the group of almost 50 climber made it up the treacherous mountain in extremely harsh conditions.

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania and is the highest mountain in Africa. This year was SABC journalist Gillian Pillay’s third trek up the mountain. She says it was an extremely tough climb.

“Well you know I think it’s all about what impact our stories have made, that for me really says how we summitted a mountain. But seeing the reception here really tells us how high we conquered this mountain, how far we have gone, what more we still need to do.

SABC cameraman Thabo Madilola made it up to the summit for the second time. He says that it’s an experience that everyone must try in their lifetime.

“Everybody needs to go up Kilimanjaro to experience this. Even if i can try and explain it, you wouldn’t understand. It’s for you to go up there and experience it. It’s a once in a life time challenge that everyone is encouraged to do.”

 

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