It all started with a challenge to hike the largest mountain in Africa (Mt. Kilimanjaro)! You may be thinking, “Why climb to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro?” It’s simple. Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa as well as the world’s tallest freestanding mountain. It is 19,341’ nearly 4 miles high. We felt that it was a perfect representation of the enormity of the water problem in Malawi, Africa. So we started climbing it in 2011!

Since then, we have added more mountains to climb and even some trails to hike in North America, South America, Asia, and Africa!

So, now you know “Why Climb!” Child Legacy climbs mountains and hikes trails to bring clean water and Living Water to the people of Malawi!

Child Legacy International has been repairing water wells since 2008; even though they have repaired more than 5,300 broken pumps in Malawi — which impacts over 10 million people (about 50% of the country’s population) — there is still a great need. Between 35%-40% of handpumps in the rural areas are non-functioning, meaning that millions of Malawians are having to find alternative water sources, and most of those sources are unprotected. We have seen it firsthand, visiting primary schools and hearing teachers report student death or poor attendance due to bad water. We feel that those who can help, should, and in the case of well repair, a little goes a long way.

From Mt. Kilimanjaro to Mt. Mulanje to the Andes to the Himalayas to the Rockies, Clean Water Climbs are scheduled throughout the year. We would love for you to join one! Or just join us on a trip to Malawi to see what this is all about. Please see the list of international trips under the CWC TRIPS tab at the top of the page.