Kilimanjaro climb for brave Navan mum-of-four

A NAVAN woman is preparing to climb Kilimanjaro – the largest free standing mountain in the world next October to raise funds for a Tanzanian primary school.

Victoria Lacey (right) of Athlumney Hall is taking on this huge challenge to raise much needed funds for the Stella Maris school, which sits at the foot of the mountain.

“I am also doing this as a challenge to myself,” says the 42-year-old mother of four.

“I will be undertaking this challenge with 11 other people, but I have never met them before and I will be leaving my family and friends for the first time.

“This will be very much outside my comfort zone – a massive challenge,” she says.

Victoria explains the Stella Maris school at the foot of the mountain in Tanzania is in an area of huge economic hardship and high poverty rates.

“Stella Maris school is a base for 510 primary and kindergarten school children. They are educated and given a small amount of food, which has to be extremely rationed due to shortage of funds.

“The school needs 25kg of rice a day in order to feed 336 children. 25kg of rice costs 48,000 TZS which translates to roughly €20.

“I believe no child should ever go hungry and that they should all be educated. In Africa education is a privilege as only a select few get to go to school.”

She is appealing for support on her GoFundMe page pointing out that every single cent helps towards giving these children a better life.

“I am delighted that St Stephen's National School are holding a non-uniform day to raise funds for me,” she says.

Victoria explains she decided to undertake the challenge when following a Cork woman Lenore Good on Instagram.

“My daughter Emma is autistic and Lenore is the mother of six children, five of whom are on the autism spectrum.

“I have been following her because she is a fountain of knowledge on autism and is always helpful to other parents in directing them to services and advising them on form filling.

“I saw where she had climbed Kilimanjaro and raised funds for the school and I was moved by the plight of the children and decided to get involved.”

Victoria explains that due to children collapsing in school from hunger, the school made a decision to provide breakfast and lunch for all children in school.

It meant having the children arrive in earlier before 8am and not leave until 3.30pm which meant they were taking pressure off parents in the community to provide meals that they simply did not have the means to provide due to the huge poverty rates in the country.

The organisation that built the school, Mailisita, also built accommodation so it would be an economic resource for the community. Foreign visitors and climbers pay to stay at Stella Maris Lodge, usually in order to climb Kilimanjaro, and the proceeds help cover the costs of teachers wages and food in the school.

“The Covid crisis meant that people weren't travelling to climb the mountain and they lost that income, so they are very much in need of funds.”

Victoria says that Teddy Chuwa (41), manager of the Stella Maris will be climbing with them.

“Tanzanians don't usually climb Kilimanjaro but it was a dream of hers to climb it and now she will be doing it and she is also raising funds.”

Victoria says she hasn't ever climbed a mountain before but she is fairly fit and as she does a lot of walking.

“The climb starts on 22nd October and will take seven to eight days.

“I am building myself up now towards climbing. It is quite a daunting challenge, but I am looking forward to it,” she says.

Donations can be made on

https://gofund.me/21aee92d