P. Sarojini
Kenya (CWBN)_ The eight-year-old Elsie Akeyo climbed the second-highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kenya, last Saturday, when the rest of the country was celebrating their Jamhuri day, the day Kenya became republic. Akeyo was able to reach the highest point, Point Lenana, without requiring specialized gear and any kind of preparation. Point Lenana is the highest point a person can reach on Mount Kenya. The little girl took months to get ready for the challenging climb.
Akeyo was accompanied by a nine-member team which included her mother and 10-year-old brother and other adult members of the Ngong Hills Rotary Club. It took around three days for Akeyo and the team to reach the highest point. They touched the summit on Saturday and returned on the same day. Moreover, for Akeyo and her brother Darwin, this is not the first hiking experience. The siblings have previously climbed William Hill, Mt Kilimambogo, Sleeping Warrior Hills, Elephant Hill and even Mt Satima along with her mother and other team members.
During an interview with the media, Akeyo’s mother Rachel Kungu said that she involved her kids in hiking as a way to get them out of the house since the schools were closed due to lockdowns and the kids were forced to stay at home without any outing options. She said, her kids developed love and interest towards hiking later on. She added, “I thought, ‘When I go with them, they will at least be outside, because they no longer go to school. But then it became like a passion to them. That is how now they started”.
Akeyo’s brother Darwin said that he developed interest in science and geography due to the hiking adventures. “When you go to the hills and visit many places, then you get to see what teachers were telling you about. And also, sometimes we study about soil, like there is volcanic soil on some hills; you go and see it.”
Akeyo admired about the views she saw while hiking. She said, “We had fun. The experience was nice. Mt Kenya was very lovely. The views are beautiful, and they are things we have never seen. We only see them in pictures in class. When you’re there in person, it’s always interesting.”
With compliments pouring in for the young achiever, her mother said that these compliments encourage the kids to hike more mountains. She also thanked their guide for his patience and cooperation. She said, “What encourages them most when they are tired is when they meet the adults and they are told, ‘You have come up to this place? Wow, I’m proud of you.’ So, they get that motivation and they say, ‘You know, we have to reach the summit”.
