Kenyan mountaineer Dr Faith Mwende has embarked on promoting mental health, climate action and global peace, which is the reason she attempted summiting Mt Everest.
Mwende together with the No Summit Too High Road to Mt Everest secretariat has rolled out an action plan towards achieving the three issues across the country.
This is barely a month since she returned from Nepal after attempting to summit the highest mountain in the world.
“As a mountaineer, I have witnessed first-hand the impact of climate change on our environment. I choose to be the change agent by mobilising communities to engage in activities geared towards mental health, climate action and global peace awareness and promotion,” Mwende told the Star on Thursday.
She said climate action, mental health and peace are interrelated and promoting either of them leads to promotion of others.
“There is an adverse correlation between the effects of climate change and mental health. Mental health awareness is the ongoing effort to reduce the stigma around mental illness and mental health conditions by sharing our personal experiences,” Mwende said.
Mwende said people often suffer in silence with their conditions being untreated due to misconceptions about mental health and mental fitness.
She said mental health awareness helps educate the public at large.
“I will, however, pay a special attention to the youths whom I relate with very well. It teaches them that it is okay to share experiences, vulnerabilities and shared concerns about mental health issues. Reducing the stigma which has been attached to mental health will help countless others,” Mwende said.
On global peace, she said the earth needs peace to survive.
“This applies to every angle including wars, pollution, natural disasters and more. When peace and harmony are maintained, things will continue to run smoothly without any delay,” Mwende said.
“Moreover, it can be a saviour for many who do not wish to engage in any disrupting activities. I am a strong proponent of SDG 16 which is all about promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies,” she said.
Mwende said they had over the last one and a half months embarked on a historic journey of her summiting Mt Everest having summited Mt Kenya 10 times and Mt Kilimanjaro three times, among others.
She said she did all this in an effort to promote her cherished theme on climate change, mental health and global peace.
“We would like to compare mountain climbing with life, where you find the people who will help you climb in all phases of life, the ones who lift you up, hold you accountable, check-in just to see if you are okay,” Mwende said.
She said those relationships are what make the climb matter more than the destination.
Mwende thanked all her sponsors and partners including Radio Africa Group for believing in her and cheering her on as one of their own, 'the Kenyan spirit’.
She said from the expedition, the dangers and effects of climate change look like a big mountain; almost unsurmountable!
“However, step by step, action by action, we shall surmount it. For this reason, I am still determined to fulfil the dream of summiting subject to good weather in the next season with the hope to bring attention on the sustainable development goals, with my main focus being on three SDGs; SDG13-climate action, SDG 3-Good Health and wellbeing,” Mwende said.
“Together we will achieve the climate change, mental health, and peace awareness for God and the good of our beloved country and the world at large."
"I assure you that I have not given up. Once the weather permits, I will return to fulfil my calling of summiting the highest mountain. Just as Sir Edmund Hillary once said, 'I will come and conquer you because as a mountain you cannot grow, but as a human I can',” she added.