Walking the talk: Trek4Mandela launch highlights 15 years of changing lives

This year, 2025, marks 15 years since the Imbumba Foundation was established, helping thousands of young girls from destitution go through their monthly cycles with access to sanitary towels.

The milestone was marked by a recent event where the foundation hosted the Trek4Mandela 2026 Expedition Launch, which coincided with its annual Stakeholder Appreciation, where they honour various partners for their unwavering support over the years.

The event was hosted at the iconic Nelson Mandela Foundation, one of the organisations that supported the founder Richard Mabaso’s vision to fight against period poverty through the annual Trek4Mandela expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, since 2012.

This success happened through various corporate social investments (CSI) from different companies, such as the Dis-Chem Foundation through its annual "Million Comforts" campaign.

As part of the event, various climbers also got an opportunity to reflect on this once-in-a-lifetime expedition. One of these climbers was a matric learner, Kwakwas Makwakwa from Abbotts High School.

Makwakwa spoke with the Saturday Star about the significance of his climb and the impact it has on girls from destitute backgrounds who have no access to sanitary towels.

“The reason why I chose to do this is because I understand the issue of period poverty, and so I took the sacrifice to train for six months in order to help those millions of girls who are struggling with period poverty.”

He shared his climbing experience and detailed: “I remember training being very good. We started off very easy. We started here in Johannesburg doing easy trails, quite flat. And as the months went on. We gradually increased, hiking in Drankesburg and Thabanyana to train our bodies for altitude and other important stuff.

"The experience in the mountain was very humbling. Before, I thought I was this big strong guy who could do anything. But the mountain really showed me that you need to respect it. It's really high; you find issue that it's harder to breathe, and it's harder to move, but as long as you respect the mountain and you put one foot in front of the other, it becomes easy to climb.”

His younger sibling, Zanokuhle, is set to make her debut climb next year.

“I am going to be climbing Kilimanjaro in 2026 with Trek4 Mandela mostly because I have seen two of the people I look up to climb the mountain and share those stories. And the cause behind hiking it is just so beautiful because I am a girl and just understand the pain of being on your period. I can't imagine not being able to have the resources to go through your periods.”

During his presentation, Mabaso took time to reflect on the past decade and a half, which saw the climb attracting 422 climbers and managing to support nearly three million teenage girls to keep them in school during their monthly cycles.

“Caring4Girls Sanitary Products is entering a significant phase of commercial expansion, evolving beyond its established CSI donor base into a robust multi-channel operation. The brand has successfully secured shelf space with major South African wholesalers and is deepening its footprint in the education sector through direct distribution to schools and tertiary facilities.

"To ensure immediate accessibility, we have launched vending machine solutions in high-traffic areas, and we plan to implement these in facilities ranging from universities and restaurants to mining operation change rooms.

"This growth is supported by our increasing capacity for white-label manufacturing for government and corporate entities, while we simultaneously explore international scalability through strategic partnerships in the African, European, and Caribbean markets.”

Sameera Kareem, CSI Manager and Project Coordinator for Independent Media, who also attended the event, said: “Attending the Imbumba Foundation’s Trek for Mandela launch and partnership brunch was an incredibly enriching experience.

"The Foundation’s unwavering dedication to social transformation and community empowerment is nothing short of inspiring. It was an invaluable opportunity to deepen my relationship with the Foundation and explore avenues for collaboration as we look ahead to making 2026 a milestone year of impact.

"The event also provided a unique platform to connect with like-minded corporates and foundations, all equally passionate about creating lasting change.

"Through these conversations, I’m more motivated than ever to contribute to collective efforts that serve communities and make a meaningful difference. It was an event that not only expanded my network but also ignited a renewed sense of purpose in working together for the greater good.”

Saturday Star

Anita Nkonki