World News | South African Woman Climber to Scale Mt Manaslu in Nepal to Support Fight Against Gender-Based Violence
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A South African woman plans to scale Nepal's Mt Manaslu in support of victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), an endemic in the African country despite the government's efforts to combat it.
Johannesburg, Aug 30 (PTI) A South African woman plans to scale Nepal's Mt Manaslu in support of victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), an endemic in the African country despite the government's efforts to combat it.
Angela Yeung, the founder of the charity Impilo Collection Foundation and the ambassador of Brand South Africa, has been preparing for several months for the climb up the daunting Manaslu, which stands tall at a height of 8,136 metres above sea level.
She has spent 630 hours in rigorous training and traversed a staggering 540 kilometres in preparation for the climb.
Yeung hopes to surpass her earlier feat of conquering Island Peak at 6,200 metres last year.
Mt Manaslu, dubbed the ‘mountain of the spirit,' is the eighth-highest peak globally, nestled within Nepal's majestic Himalayas.
The driving force behind Yeung's ascent is a compelling mission - to spotlight and combat the harrowing issue of gender-based violence (GBV), which is endemic in South Africa despite efforts by the government and NGOs to combat it.
Yeung's expedition aims to channel funds towards an educational sanctuary that will empower and uplift young women who have faced the brunt of GBV.
"We face a mountain to climb, one that symbolises the path to women's empowerment through education. This journey is the stepping stone to independence and self-reliance,” Yeung said.
"Our quest for an anti-GBV education centre demands the collective efforts of supporters, followers, climbers, and allies. Together, we will make this vision a reality," she said.
Yeung will team up with the Sherpa Legends, including the renowned Mingma Chhiri Sherpa, who has conquered Everest six times and Manaslu thrice.
The ascent is scheduled from September 1 to October 5, with Yeung planning to carry the South African flag and logos of several sponsors to the summit of Manaslu, elevating them beyond the reach of ordinary planes.
In August 2022, Yeung set an unusual record in her fight against GBV when her Foundation displayed 6,200 bras at the home of South Africa's Constitutional Court in Johannesburg during International Women's Month. She exceeded the target set of 6,165, the metre height of Island Peak that she scaled then.
“We collected a total of 6,200 bras by the end of 2021. These were displayed at Constitution Hill, and a memorandum was handed over to the Department of Public Safety to intensify action against GBV. Each of the 6,200 bras was washed, individually packaged and labelled and then distributed to 3,100 women and girls across Gauteng during International Women's Month in 2022,” Yeung said.
Yeung and her team have set an ambitious target for next year.
“During this women's month, we have collected 1,500 bras so far. Our aim is to collect 8,848 bras by April next year - that's the height of Mount Everest. Let's ascend together,” Yeung concluded.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)