Briyan Musumba: Meet educator climbing mountains to raise money for needy learners

For Briyan Musumba, an educator working in Kilifi and Kwale counties, hiking is more than just a passion — it's a mission.

He hikes to raise awareness and equip primary schools with books to improve learners' reading and writing skills.

Musumba says his mountaineering journey began in June 2022 when he climbed Mt Longonot.

“Climbing mountains allows me to connect with nature and find peace,” he says.

Since then, he has climbed 10 mountains and hills and summited Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro.

“My work revolves around innovative teaching. Training teachers to integrate technology and plays in their classrooms. I’ve worked with 309 schools across Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi counties, but on the side, I also double up as a hiker and mountaineer," Musumba says.

On August 30 last year, Musumba with a team of 26 mountaineers set out to summit Mt Kenya.

“Climbing the mountain was not just about conquering a peak; it was an expedition that revealed an indomitable human spirit. It left us with memories, helped us make new friends and conquer challenges," he said.

In September last year, one month after summiting Mt Kenya, Musumba and a colleague started to volunteer at St Augustine Primary School in Mombasa.

He says after conducting an English and Mathematics learning assessments, they discovered that the learners were behind.

“We started teaching Grade 3, 4 and 5 pupils. We would arrive early, spend an hour with the learners and through playful techniques, help them improve their literacy and numeracy skills,” he says.

“Without these crucial foundational skills, their potential for success in other learning areas is hampered. This led me to volunteer at this school for an additional two months, providing additional support to the most needy learners. I must say the change was inspiring.” 

The experience challenged Musumba to support pupils in Grade 6 as well.

Lack of enough books and materials for learners in most public schools has contributed to poor learning outcomes.

Musumba volunteered at the school until November, when preparations for KCPE exams started.

“My interaction with these learners impacted me in several ways.  I saw a need for books that will help them improve their literacy skills, not only at school but even back at home,” he says.

The educator later visited the Bangladesh informal settlement in Mombasa, where he saw a community library supported by the Pwani Youth Network.

“Seeing what they were able to do with limited resources inspired me to contribute,” he says.

Musumba spoke to teachers at Mvita Primary School about his book-mission and they agreed to get on board.

His interactions with learners at St Augustine, Bangladesh and Mvita inspired him to combine his love for hiking with raising funds for books.

“In these schools, five learners share one book. This motivated me to do something to improve their learning experience,” Musumba says.

He first assessed specific books needed in each institution. The schools shared lists of books they needed and Musumba reached out to publishers to get the costs.

“As I started the fundraiser, I set a target for how many books I wanted to donate to each institution. I reached out to friends, colleagues and family,” Musumba says

The needs of these pupils pushed him to summit Mt Kilimanjaro.

“Summiting Kilimanjaro was about pushing myself to conquer the highest point of our continent,” Musumba says.

Its training was intense. Living in Mombasa, a flat area, Musumba would run 30km each week, go to the gym and hike on weekends.

“On summit night, I felt like giving up. I had to sit for 20 minutes to regain my strength, because I couldn’t quit—I wasn’t just hiking for myself but for the children,” he said.

Musumba summited the mountain on January 1. During the mission, he set up a website and an M-changa account.

Most of the donations came from friends, family and strangers. His goal was to provide at least 100 books per school.

“I raised Sh60,300 through M-changa and around $500 (Sh64,500) through PayPal,” he said.

He used the donations to buy books from Amazon and Longhorn Publishers in Kenya.

 “Mvita Primary and St Augustine each received 110 books, and the community library got 179 books, surpassing my initial target,” Musumba says.

“Seeing the learners’ smiles, the teachers’ joy and the children's excitement as they received the new books was incredibly rewarding.”

He is already looking ahead to his next mission: climbing Mt Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, on the Chile-Argentina border, in early 2025.

 “I’ll be doing this climb to raise funds for children and education once again,” he added.