Eighteen men and women left Malta for Tanzania today on their way to climb Mt Kilimanjaro and raise funds for a kindergarten school in Gambella, Ethiopia.

The climb is the culmination of a year of activities and training which has enabled the team to raise €65,000 for the project, named in honour of the late Nirvana Azzopardi, the TV personality who died of cancer last year.  

The team is made up of Annaliza Cauchi, Lara Barbuto, Justine Mangion, Nikita Taliana, Alishia Dimech, Stefania Buhagiar, Marthese Zerafa, Samantha Galea, Graziella Sant, Natasha Livori, Austin Cachia, Owen Vassallo, Daniel Farrugia, Brian Cremona, Karl Bartolo, Juan Ellul Pirotta, Chris Criminale and Keith Debattista. 

The team is due to arrive in Kilimanjaro on Tuesday and will start the eight-day climb after a period of orientation and acclimatisation. 

At 5,895 metres above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free standing mountain in the world.

Donations can be sent to tel: 5150 2084 (€5), 5160 2028 (€10), 5180 2095 (€25) SMS 5061 7389 (€2.33) 50618062 (€4.66)

The Kilimanjaro Challenge started off eight years ago when Fr George Grima, who for the last 25 years has managed many projects involving the poorest of children in Brazil, Kenya and Ethiopia, asked Keith Marshall for assistance in funding a project, and the Kilimanjaro Challenge was born.

Since then, the challenge has seen almost 100 expedition members raising over €450,000 for various projects including the building of a school and convent in the Ethiopian village of Bulbula, a house hosting 100 physically disabled, deaf and blind children in Kenya and a clinic in Sakko also in Ethiopia.