Wednesday, May 22, 2002 :

Lisa's climb for poor kids

In two weeks time a young Ballinrobe woman will undertake a 12-day expedition to Nairobi in Africa, culminating in a 20,000 feet climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro - Africa's highest mountain.

Twenty-two year old receptionist Lisa O'Brien always wanted to do something for under-privileged children, so when she saw an advertisement for volunteers to climb the mountain as a fundraising exercise for Childaid, she jumped at it.

"About six weeks ago I was flicking through a charity magazine my mother gets when I saw they were looking for volunteers. I suggested it to a friend of mine, we got on to Childaid and within a few days we were signed up for the June 2nd trip," says Lisa. An added incentive for Lisa is that the money she raises will go to help the children in Mukuru, a village in Nairobi where Ballinrobe priest Fr. Pat O'Toole works.

The first two days of the trip will be spent visiting the slums there and seeing the poor children who will benefit directly from the help of people like Lisa. "The money raised will help a local primary school project in Mukuru. Some work has already been done there, and our contribution will help add more classrooms. It will be very rewarding to see where our money is going, although the sight of the children and the conditions they live in will be disturbing at first."

Thirty people in total are going on the trip and each is expected to raise e4,000. Most started their fundraising months ago, so Lisa has had a bit of catching up to do. "I only have a few weeks to do it, but I'm confident I'll make it. I've approached some local businesses for donations and I also did a pub-to-pub collection in Galway for two nights. The staff in the Foster Court Hotel in Galway, where I work, have also been great and have sponsored me. "But the main fundraising event takes place in the Valkenburg Hotel, Ballinrobe, on Friday, May 24th. We've booked a band for the night and some other guest artists will also play. Tickets are €5 each and sales are going well."
Lisa has been assisted in her fundraising efforts by local man Anthony McCormack, who became involved through a friendship between his daughter and Lisa.
"Lisa asked me for ideas for fundraising and I started coordinating the whole thing. She's in Galway, so it's difficult for her to do it.

"It's a huge undertaking and I think she's a wonderful young woman to put herself through such hardship for the sake of under-privileged children. It requires serious drive in terms of fundraising and the climb itself will be a huge strain on her," he says.
"We have a team of 30-40 people selling tickets at the moment and when Lisa leaves on June 2nd we are hoping to send her off with the biggest cheque possible," he states.
Lisa knows the climb will be difficult, but she has no apprehensions.
"The conditions will be very tough and a lot of people don't make it to the top. We start off in tropical forests, then go through a desert and then near the top into arctic conditions.

The climb itself takes six days - four-and-a-half up and one-and-a-half down.
"I've been preparing by doing a lot walking, jogging and gym work and eating a lot of carbohydrates to give me energy." The flights to Nairobi have been sponsored by the airline company, and the first two nights accommodation in a hotel there have also been sponsored. But all other expenses, such as vaccinations, medicines, spending money and equipment fall on Lisa herself. "It will cost me over €1,000 in total. Every penny I raise will go to Childaid; I will cover my own expenses."

The fundraising is a difficult task and the climb will be no stroll in the park either. But Lisa feels she will be a better person for it.

"I've spoken to a lot of people who did it and they all say it's a wonderful experience. They say it's a very humbling experience and I'm sure when I come back I'll be a different person. It'll make me appreciate what I have more.

"It was always in my head to do something like this. I'm just doing it sooner than I thought."