I lived in Tanzania for 13 years, and all that time, I never climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
Not once. In fact, I had absolutely no desire to.
I'm not a mountain climber. I don't spend my weekends chasing summits. I don't keep a list of mountains I want to conquer. If you had asked me a few years ago whether I would ever attempt to climb Africa's highest mountain, the answer would have been a very quick "no".
Yet in September 2026, I will be standing at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, preparing to walk nearly 100 kilometres over nine days and climb to 5,895 metres above sea level.
So why now?
Because this climb isn't about a mountain. It's about mothers.
Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of working alongside communities in rural Tanzania through Cedar Tanzania and Australia for Cedar Tanzania. During that time, I have witnessed extraordinary resilience, determination and strength.
I have also seen the challenges women face when it comes to accessing quality maternal healthcare.
Every year in Tanzania, thousands of women lose their lives during pregnancy and childbirth. Many of these deaths are preventable with access to skilled healthcare, appropriate facilities, reliable equipment and timely medical intervention. Kamanga Health Centre was established to help address this challenge and provide quality healthcare closer to home for families living in rural communities.
When Kamanga Health Centre opened its doors in 2018, it was a significant milestone for the community. Since then, the demand for services has continued to grow. More mothers are choosing to deliver at the health centre, and our team has worked tirelessly to meet that increasing need.
Today, our new maternity ward is nearing completion.
The expanded facility will provide additional delivery beds, postnatal recovery spaces, facilities for mothers requiring extra care, and a safer, more dignified environment in which families can welcome new life into the world.
But a building alone isn't enough. Healthcare depends on reliability, on lighting during labour, and on power for essential medical equipment. On the ability to provide safe, uninterrupted care when every second matters.
In rural Tanzania, power outages can last for days. For a maternity ward, that isn't simply inconvenient. It can directly affect the safety of mothers and newborns. That is why our Rising for Mothers campaign is focused on extending the solar power system at Kamanga Health Centre and ensuring the new maternity ward can operate safely and reliably around the clock.
There is another reason this climb feels significant.
Over the past few years, I have undergone both spinal surgery and extensive surgery on my right foot. Recovery has been a journey in itself, and I still live with some of the effects of a drop foot on the left foot that developed following the spinal surgery.
So when I say I never planned to climb Kilimanjaro, I genuinely mean it.
This isn't the next item on a bucket list. It isn't a lifelong dream. In many ways, it is probably the last thing I expected to be doing. But some goals are bigger than personal comfort. And some challenges are worth taking on because of what they can make possible for others.
So this year, I will climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Not because I suddenly discovered a passion for mountain climbing.
Not because I want to stand on a summit.
But because every mother deserves access to safe maternity care.
If climbing a mountain helps make that possible, then it is a challenge worth taking on.
The journey to the summit will take nine days.
The journey to improve maternal healthcare in Kamanga has taken years.
Both are climbed one step at a time.
Thank you for being part of that journey with us.
With gratitude,
Nina and the Cedar Team