Women in Action: "Ngakhuphuka iMount Kilimanjaro"

-Delile

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"Ngagibela iNtaba iKilimanjaro" akuyona indlela abafundi abavame ukusabela ngayo lapho bebuzwa ukuthi bawasebenzise kanjani amaholide abo ehlobo. Kodwa uSamantha Cohen oneminyaka engu-17, owafinyelela inani eliphakeme le-19,000-plus-foot ngoJulayi, akayena umuntu ophakeme esikoleni esiphakeme. Nakuba engase abe mncane, umfundi oqondile-A usevele ephila ukuphila komuntu ophelele kwe-SHAPE yokuphila.

Uthando lwakhe lokuzivocavoca umzimba luqale eneminyaka engu-7, lapho ebhalisa ezifundweni zokushushuluza futhi eqala ukuncintisana endaweni.Eminyakeni emine kamuva, uSamantha wathola i-jazz kanye ne-ballet ikakhulukazi yomdanso futhi ngokushesha wayezofinyelela ezifundweni eziyi-12 isonto ngalinye. Waze wabhalisela nohlelo lokudansa olwalungaphrofeshinali. Kodwa-ke, ngenkathi uSamantha eba nezinkinga zamadolo ngonyaka nohhafu owedlule futhi elashwa ngokomzimba, wakuthatha njengesibonakaliso sokubuyela emuva.

“Ngangikujabulela kakhulu ukudansa kodwa ngabona ukuthi akuyona yonke into engangiyifuna ekuphileni,” usho kanje. "Bengifuna isikhathi sokuhamba futhi ngihlole imisebenzi ehlukene." Ngakho-ke waphanyeka izicathulo zakhe zokudansa waphendukela ku-yoga, ukugibela ibhayisikili njengeqembu, kanye nekilasi leZumba lezikhathi ezithile ukuze alungise ukufaneleka kwakhe.

Ngaso sonke isikhathi ebheke izindlela ezintsha zokugcina umzimba wakhe uncike futhi uqinile, uSamantha wabona ithuba lokuthatha igxathu elikhulu ngaphandle kwendawo yakhe yokuzilolonga kule ntwasahlobo edlule. Emuva ngoMashi, wezwa ukuthi umngani wakhe ubhalisele ukukhuphuka iNtaba iKilimanjaro ehlobo neqembu lalabo abafunda nabo.

Ngisho nangayo yonke imincintiswano yakhe yangaphambilini yezemidlalo, uSamantha wayeqonda ukuthi umsebenzi owawungaphezu kwakhe kwakuyisilo esisha ngokuphelele. Etholakala eTanzania, iNtaba iKilimanjaro iphakama ngamamitha ayi-19,340 okwenza kungabi yisiqongo esiphakeme kunazo zonke sezwekazi kepha futhi iyintaba ende kunazo zonke emhlabeni.

Yize izinselelo zomzimba zazizinkulu ekuqaleni, umoya uba mncane kakhulu ekukhuphukeni kangangokuthi ukugula okuphezulu kukhathaza abaningi babagibeli bezintaba abangu-15 000 abazama ukukhuphuka minyaka yonke-uSamantha akazange anqandeke. "Ngicabanga ukuthi bengingakhetha ukugibela intaba encane, ngithi eColorado," kusho uSamantha, okwathi naphezu kokungabaza okuvela kwabanye abangani namalungu omndeni ahlala ekholelwa ukuthi uzofika esiqongweni sentaba. "Kodwa lokhu bekumayelana nokuziphoqa ukuthi ngenze okuthile okungajwayelekile."

Ngesikhathi eziqeqeshela umqansa, uSamantha, ivolontiya elishisekayo, wafunda ngomkhankaso wamaqhawe weSibhedlela Sezingane i-St. Ngemuva kokubhalisa nokwakha ikhasi kuwebhusayithi yesibhedlela ukuqoqa imali, waqoqa cishe ama- $ 22,000 esisekelo.

Ngalokhu kufezekiswa ngaphansi kwesandla sakhe, uSamantha unethemba lokuqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wokusiza noSt Jude ngenkathi eqeda isikole esiphakeme futhi esebenza ekolishi. Akunandaba ukuthi uhambo lwakhe lwesikhathi esizayo lumyisa kuphi, ukuzethemba kukaSamantha emandleni akhe okuqeda noma yimuphi umsebenzi awenzayo. "Angiyena umuntu onamandla kunabo bonke, kodwa uma ufuna okuthile, asikho isizathu sokuthi kungani ungafanele ukufeza lokhu," usho kanje. "Abantu banamandla kakhulu ngokomzimba kunalokho abacabanga ngakho. Futhi idrayivu yami inamandla anele ukungisiza ngifeze noma yini."

Ukufunda kabanzi noma ukunikela ngemizamo eqhubekayo kaSamantha yokusiza iSt.Jude Children's Research Hospital, hlola ikhasi lakhe lokuqongelela imali. Ukuthola okuningi ngohambo lukaSamantha lokukhuthaza esiqongweni seNtaba iKilimanjaro, qiniseka ukuthi uthatha ikhophi yencwadi kaSepthemba ye-SHAPE, kuma-newsstand ngoMsombuluko, Agasti 19.

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