Life’s too short for ordinary fundraisers.

Climbing for Kakuma (or Klimmen Voor Kakuma in Dutch) was born in 2017 when I started to climb mountains to raise funds for the Kakuma Project. In the previous years I had to undergo 21 surgeries, most of them due to severe hip dysplasia. I was and I still am, so grateful for all the second chances I got and I wanted to do something for children who might not even get a first chance to use their potential. Being a teacher of refugee students (who often had limited or no access to education in their homecountry) myself, I see the importance of having quality education every single day. Project Kakuma offers – with the help of 429 voluntary teachers – free quality education to thousands of children in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya.

Climbing mountains

Climbing for Kakuma started with a single climb, the second edition involved 2 climbs of the Mont Ventoux.
This year the adventure was supposed to start at my place in Belgium. Together with my dog Cosmo I planned to cycle all the way op to my beloved mountain in France. Corona virus made it impossible to continue original plans….but 21 surgeries and a broken arm didn’t stop me from climbing the Ventoux, so not giving up now either. August 12 I will climb the Ventoux again and we will also have a Klimmen Voor Kakuma pre event, August 1. Together with my refugee student Mohammad and his sister we will cycle 100 km to raise funds for refugee students in Kakuma.

Sponsor my challenge

Project Kakuma.

In 2015 Belgian teacher Koen Timmers shipped his own laptop to Kakuma Refugee Camp and started to teach refugees via Skype. The camp – based in Kenya – is home to 200,000 refugees who fled from war and hunger in several African countries. 55% of the refugees in Kakuma are children, only half of them attend school.

At this moment the Kakuma Project involves 429 teachers from 65 countries who offer free classes in maths, science and English. It is time to take the project to the next level.

In partnership with the Maggie Program, our own 2 schools – which will be built in Februari 2020 – are shipped to Kakuma. These new schools will allow us to increase the amount of Skype sessions and the number of students who can be taught + local refugees will be trained to become qualified teachers.

Innovation lab tent Maggie program

These innovative buildings will house up to 150 students each:

  • Maggie 1 will be dedicated to the Skype project and teacher training.
  • Maggie 2 will be dedicated to flipped learning via video lessons and training professional programmers.
Give to our cause

Follow my journey.

Project Kakuma on national TV

While the Maggie Team started to construct the new schools, national television (VRT) covered the story of Project Kakuma.
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There she goes

The Innovation Lab Schools- supported by UNHCR - have set sail to Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. The building on site will be between 14 February and 1 March 2020.
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Klimmen Voor Kakuma 1 & 2

When I cycle I have a strong and a weak leg and when I climb, I push myself up with one leg. I started to train again to climb one side of the Ventoux and I asked Koen if it would be ok to let people sponsor me for Project Kakuma. Klimmen Voor Kakuma was born.
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The Kakuma Project

The kakuma project is a group of more than 400 teachers from 65 countries over 6 continents willing to offer free education via Skype. This project was set up in April 2015 by Koen Timmers, a Belgian teacher. He sent his own laptop to the Kakuma Refugee Camp (Kenya) and started to teach via Skype
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Aug 12

D-day

1639

Altimetres

2000 $

goal

1668 $

funds raised

©2020 | Klimmen Voor Kakuma