September 22, 2008

Hiking for Social Justice


On a recent climb of Mt. Kilimajaro in Tanzania, my roommate from college, Holly Murdoch O'Brien, witnessed the horrible working conditions of the people who support treks on the mountain. Many of the porters did not have warm clothing, rain gear, or boots, but the filmmakers were really stunned when they discovered many of their porters had been sleeping without sleeping bags in temperatures below freezing.

To bring attention to the porters Holly is creating a feature documentary film "Cloudwalkers of Kilimanjaro" through the eyes of the local Tanzanian people who make their living by working on the mountain.

Nearly 20 years after graduating from Ithaca College Holly and I are reconnected, finding a shared concern for promoting social change in developing countries.

HOW YOU CAN HELP...
By supporting my hike, you can take part in the solution.

To raise funds for the film Holly and I are hiking Mount Baldy located outside of Los Angeles, California on October 25, 2008. Our goal is to raise $15,000 so that Holly and her film crew can return to Mt. Kilimanjaro in January to begin researching and scouting in preparation for the film shoot.

My personal goal is to raise $1,000 and every donation helps. Please consider making a fully tax-deductible contribution which can be easily done online www.firstgiving.com/amykweskin.

You are also invited to participate in the hike. Just ask me for details.

Thank you for considering this request.