Mountains for Moms

Inspired by one man's climb for change, a group of young leaders will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in January 2010. With a goal of raising $100,000 towards OperationOF and to raise awareness of the horrific effects of Obstetric Fistulas there is only one question: will you join them?

The month long trip throughout Kenya and Tanzania will include the summiting of Mt. Kilimanjaro, extensive wildlife tours, exposure to Africa culture and most importantly, volunteering and meeting the women whose lives you've raised money to change.

They will be raising money towards helping women suffering from Obstetric fistulas. An obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal caused by days of unsuccessful labor. Prolonged obstructed labor cuts off the blood supply to the tissue planes that separate the urinary tract and rectum from the vagina. The woman is almost always left with a stillborn baby and unrelenting incontinence of urine or stool. This has dramatic negative social consequences, usually resulting in complete rejection from family and community.

As mentioned, the trip was inspired by Seth Cochran who raised $40,000 for cleft palate surgery through The Smile Train. If one man made such an amazing impact, imagine how much a dedicated group working together can achieve.

Now that you know the facts, what will you do to help?



Please note:
This trip is very much in it's seed stage and welcomes the input and participation of all. Please contact Ilya Brotzky at ib96@cornell.edu with any comments, questions, suggestions or donations.