The climb of hope: Palestinian teenage amputees in bid to scale Kilimanjaro

Despite having prosthetic limbs, two Palestinian teenagers will battle extreme temperatures and altitudes to climb Africa's highest peak and raise Dh1 million for charity.

Palestinian Mutasem Abu Karsh has a prosthetic leg and aims to hit the heights of Mount Kilimanjaro. When he was 7 he stepped on a landmine outside his home in Gaza. Ahmed Abed for The National

DUBAI // Two teenagers who lost legs as child victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will try to climb Africa’s tallest mountain and raise Dh1 million for the charity that gave them prosthetic limbs.

Palestinians Yasmeen Al Najjar and Mutasem Abu Karsh will battle extreme temperatures and altitude on the arduous 5,895-metre “Climb of Hope” on Mount Kilimanjaro.

“I’m climbing Mount Kilimanjaro because I want to inspire other young Arabs to think that no matter what happens, you can do anything you want in your life,” said Yasmeen, 17.

“I want to give hope to everyone that we can have a better future for our youth.”

Her leg was amputated above the knee when an army lorry struck her while she was playing outside her home in Boreen, in the West Bank, at the age of 3.

Mutasem, 16, lost his left leg and several fingers on his left hand after an Israeli tank shell exploded near him in Gaza nine years ago.

The climb is being organised by Dubai mountaineer Suzanne Al Houby, 46, a Palestinian who in 2011 became the first Arab woman to scale Mount Everest.

Yasmeen and Mutasem will make their attempt in Tanzania on a nine-day trek led by Ms Al Houby, to raise Dh1m for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Ms Al Houby taped her own leg back and practised wearing a false limb to understand the hardships the teenagers will have to endure.

“It was a huge challenge,” she said. “I will never be able to know fully what it feels like but I feel like I have now got some grasp. Anyone in their right mind can do nothing but admire them.”

During the trek the teenagers will have to remove their prosthetics on rocky and steep inclines, and will have to rely on upper body strength, said Ms Al Houby.

She said the toughest part of the challenge would be the long summit approach that could take 20 hours.

Climbing with a prosthetic leg puts more pressure on the body, so the teenagers have undergone a rigorous training programme that included running, rock climbing and survival techniques.

Ms Al Houby, who runs an adventure travel business, said she was inspired by the determination of disabled climbers she met during a trek in Alaska last year.

The team of 30 mountaineers told her they were raising funds for a friend who was a double amputee.

“I was really inspired to do something,” said Ms Al Houby.

She decided to raise awareness of child victims of armed conflict in the Arab world by scaling Africa’s highest peak with those who knew what it was like to lose a limb.

The children’s fund, a non-profit organisation that provides free medical treatment to children in the Middle East, ran a screening programme to find young amputees who would have the determination and courage to complete the climb.

Ms Al Houby and the fund chose Yasmeen and Mutasem, who are now ready to navigate their way to the summit.

“I’m so proud to be part of the Climb of Hope,” said Yasmeen. “It proves that we are all part of the same human family and it is not religion or nationality that divides us, only borders.

“We hope this climb will break down those borders.”

Ms Al Houby said the teenagers would inspire people all over the world.

“The children I’ll be climbing Kilimanjaro with have taken it upon themselves to make the impossible possible,” she said.

The trio, accompanied by volunteer climbers from across the world, will begin their ascent next Friday.

To keep up with their progress or to donate, visit www.pcrf.net