Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On this day 2 years ago we were part of the crew that climbed to the top of Africa, the Uhuru Peak of the Mt.Kilimanjaro. Due to 3 minor mistakes on our own part, a climb that was supposed to be just a simple hike to the top turned out to be a real challenge with a direct threat to our lives at the altitude of close to 20 000 ft.

Thanks to Big Elias (Elias Massawe), the most trusted guide and a sherpa with decades of experience, we were able to cope with the panic and managed to ignite the impossible sparks of strength & motivation to find our way back to safety. We are indefinitely grateful to Elias for his decisive actions and strength of character on this day. 

If Big Elias were to live his life here in North America, his resilience and leadership skills would have yielded him a high-ranking executive position. But Elias was born, educated and lived all his life in Tanzania, Africa where his work as a professional guide and as a sherpa provided means for his family.

Unfortunately, over the years, Elias has developed Achilles Tendinitis condition in his left foot to the point that it is hard for him to walk. In 2017, at the age of 44 Elias was forced to end his  17-year long career as a Guide and a Sherpa. In his track record, Elias has many achievements, including helping Angela Vorob’eva to set a Guinness World Record by becoming the oldest woman to climb to the top of Mt.Kilimanjaro at the age of 86. Elias himself has climbed to the top of the mountain well over 100 times, helping others achieve their goals. But today (!) Elias is asking for help.

Due to his medical condition, he is no longer able to take any crews to the top of Kili and needs to find an alternative way to feed his wife, 3 kids, his father, and younger brother. To make a living Elias has decided to set up a farm with greenhouses to grow tomatoes and sweet peppers. We are asking you to join us and help Elias fund his first 3 greenhouses at $700 each. I hope we can beat this target by a multiple.

We hope we can enable a strong and decent man to live the 2nd half of his life with self-respect and the ability to continue to support his family. 

You can send us a private message if you have any questions. On our own behalf and on the behalf of Elias, thank you for helping us help our most trusted Sherpa!

Gene Swinton (KS16) & Max Ryans (KS17)

Toronto, Canada

LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/geneswinton
www.linkedin.com/in/maxryans