Duduetsang Molloy has become the latest Motswana to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on the 8th of August 2018, in a pledge to raise P250, 000 for the Happy Hearts Home Project, an interim home being built for children who travel to Gaborone to access Cancer treatment.
After losing her best friend, attorney Binta Tobedza, to breast Cancer, Dudu vowed to summit Kilimanjaro in her memory. When the Ladies Circle Botswana (LCB) Happy Hearts home project began its fundraising efforts this year, she pledged to climb the mountain to raise funds for the home. As a member of LCB herself, this wasn’t a difficult decision to make, not nearly as difficult as the actual hike was according her.
Dudu fell sick on the second day of the hike up the 6km high mountain, worrying her family and friends who were eagerly consuming updates from her guiding team. After recovering, the vivacious Barclays Public and Corporate Relations manager scaled the mountain with resilience, never entertaining the thought of giving up. She was welcomed by dozens of friends and family at Sir Seretse Khama Airport on Saturday 11th August, embracing her children in an emotional reunion. A welcome reception was organised for her and her sponsors at her home in Gaborone, where well-wishers toasted to her safe return.
Perhaps most heart-warming was her children’s tribute to their mother, saying they were glad she did not fall off the notorious Kilimanjaro. The self-sacrificial adventure that Duduetsang embarked upon was truly inspirational and is one which has created a lasting legacy. Dudu’s goal was to raise 50 Thousand Pula towards the Happy Hearts Home project. She received 50 Thousand Pula from Liberty Life Insurance, and they led the corporate challenge. Only until the day before she left for Tanzania, did Letshego lead the challenge, handing a cheque of 60 Thousand Pula to her. Dudu had promised to summit with the flag of the winners of the corporate challenge, and Letshego rose to the occasion, becoming the main sponsor of the hike.
She intends to wrap up her fund raising efforts by the end of October, hoping to have raised the full P250,000 that she had pledged. “Set Big Goals! It is possible to go from climbing a 165m Kgale Hill to the 5, 895m Kilimanjaro. Kili was the first mountain I ever climbed, and I conquered it!” Duduetsang proudly said. She added that, “Small deeds to our communities go a long way”.
Kilimanjaro conqueror returns triumphant
