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The Challenge is on for the First Black African Women to Summit Everest

Isicongo is a project of three women who are sure to become South Africa’s next cultural and sporting icons: Evelina Tshabalala, Zukiswa Matamo and Nomawethu Nika. The women are aspiring mountaineers, they have been embarking on perhaps the most challenging adventure of their lives: scaling the seven highest continental summits. Starting with Kilimanjaro and ending with Everest, the trio aim to scale the highest peak on each continent in an extreme adventure voyage that will take them around the world and into some of the most inhospitable terrain that exists.


Fuelled by a passion to make something of their lives (all three women come from extremely poor backgrounds and have only ever held menial jobs, deprived of both education and opportunity) and driven by an athletic temperament (all three women are marathon runners), Evelina, Zukiswa and Noma are enjoying, for the first time in their lives, the privilege of personal training and financial investment. And above all, people who believe in their abilities and want them to succeed. If they continue to succeed on each step of their journey, which literally will take them from the depths of the squatter camps of Cape Town to the rooftops of the world, South Africa will indeed have new cultural icons to look to for inspiration.

Progress
Summit Zuki Noma Evelina
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Africa
9 Aug '06 9 Nov '06 8 Jul '06
Elbrus in Russia
Europe
9 Sep '06 9 Sep '06 -
Aconcagua in Argentina
South America
7 Jan '07 7 Jan '07 26 Feb '07
Kosciuszko
Australia
25 Feb '09 17 Feb '08 -
Denali in Alaska
North America
- - -
Vinson
Antarctica
- - -
Everest in the Himalayas
Asia
- - -


Zuki blowing vuvuzela, Noma holding SA flag at Elbrus - 9 Sep 06. Watch the video clip


Noma and Zuki at the summit of Aconcagua


Evelina at Aconcagua


Zuki on the rocks


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