In February of 2013, I climbed to the 19,341 foot summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro & the 14,980 foot summit of Mt. Meru and in doing so I helped raise thousands of dollars and valuable awareness for the American Cancer Society.

I could not, and did not do it alone. I had an enormous amount of support, help, and encouragement through the entire journey. Below are some images of the 65 porters, cooks and guides who helped as well as logos for my corporate sponsors.

For information on how you can get involved, and most likely change your life in the process, visit: www.journeysofsolutions.org.

KILI/MERU Presentation
My Kilimanjaro Cancer Climb Corporate Sponsors

I returned to Tanzania in 2016 to make a video documentary titled, "Let's Get Together and We Will be Alright", in support of the Journeys of Solutions (JOS) "Raising Voices / Raising Roofs" project. While there, in addition to working alongside local home builders as they constructed homes for deserving porters who were aging out of their ability to continue climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru, I was able to document and participate with JOS volunteers; planting over 1,500 trees with hundreds of local schoolchildren, singing and playing with dozens of children at an orphanage, and spending an entire day walking the streets of Moshi collecting garbage and cleaning public parks.

Juma has been a climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as an expedition porter for over 18 years.

He is 47, married and has four children. They have only lived in small one or two room mud huts their whole lives.

Hear him explain about his current living conditions, and his new, Journeys of Solutions, home, which is being built directly behind him in this interview.

Journeys of Solutions' Rick French interviews Juma, while Yusuf H. Nagaina translates.

While in Africa I had the pleasure of being on safari with Yusuf H. Ngaina, of www.plainstopeak.com.

If you have ever had even the slightest thought of going on safari cross your mind then you have to contact Yusuf. He will make sure that all your needs are met and will do so with the biggest, warmest smile on his face.

I am honored to call Yusuf a friend, and I guarantee that you would be hard pressed to find a more wonderful and qualified individual to experience Africa with!

AFRICA-A_FEW_PICS

"My name is Yusuf Ngaina.

I've climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro well over 200 times and have led countless safaris to many wonderful locations including, the vast plains of the Serengeti, Kilimanjaro National Park, The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Arusha National Park, as well as luxurious ocean front excursions to the picturesque region of Zanzibar.

Book your excursion with me and I promise you will have experiences that you will never forget!" — Yusuf H. Ngaina

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I was able to return to Tanzania again in 2018.

In addition to documenting the absolutely amazing work being done by Lightness Bayo, I was also able to partake in a traditional Hadzabe Bushmen hunt and visit with the Datooga people.