After Losing A Parent At A Young Age, Maltese Climbers Take On Mount Kilimanjaro
Three young adults, two of them of Maltese origin, have successfully taken on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa.
Linda Sonnichsen from Denmark, and Matthew Roskowski and Chris Mercieca from Malta recently took on the challenge of climbing one of the ‘Seven Summits’ – all in aid of the Karl Vella Foundation.
Both Matthew and Linda lost a parent at a young age, experiencing the grief this loss brought firsthand.
It, therefore, felt natural that their Kilimanjaro expedition would pay tribute to the challenges they have already overcome – while raising much-needed funds for an organisation that helps others dealing with similar situations.
Despite having limited trekking experience, they took on the challenge and began training in the months leading up to the expedition.
“A big lesson is pushing through the hard times and always remembering to stop and enjoy the small moments. When you are there there are so many impressions… the people, the nature and views and the setting are just so unique,” Rostkowski told Lovin Malta.
On the trail
“At the same time, you are tired and being pushed out of your comfort zone, so you really look back at them as special moments even if you did not realise it at the time.”
“In terms of our fundraising, I think one lesson is not to underestimate the time you need to spend to advocate and promote your cause.”
“We hoped to raise more money for an important course. Not only is the Karl Vella Foundation supporting kids going through grief but whole families – and mental health in general is an important matter that is critical to raise attention about.”
“We will all experience losses and grief, so normalising it and promoting getting help can make everyone a more whole person. We hope to be able to support KVF even more in the future and maybe our push to the top of Africa was a start in the right direction.”
They followed the Lemosho route, a seven-day trek passing through rainforests, moorland, and dry desert, before reaching the Arctic-like summit at 5,895 meters on the morning of 12th October.
This took them through temperature extremes, from the warm and humid rainforest to the dry and icy-cold summit, where the temperature dropped to -15 degrees Celsius on the final day of their ascent.
When asked why they chose to subject themselves to such an experience, they responded that they like to push their limits, and believe that it is possible to overcome anything that life throws their way if they simply keep moving forward.
KVF provides educational and psychological support to children going through the illness or loss of a relative.
Such an experience can be particularly traumatic for a child, and so KVF provides a space where children going through similar experiences have a place to process their emotions collectively.
While all of KVF’s services are provided free of charge, KVF must fork out money for these services – for mental health professionals as well as other professionals for group psycho-educational sessions, one-to-one therapy, and educational support.
The foundation is therefore constantly looking for sponsors to ensure that it is able to continue on its mission. Donations to KVF may be made by visiting http://www.kiliforkvf.com
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