Hello, everyone! My name is Simone Tchouke, and I’m about to climb Mount Whitney - the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States - while using this opportunity to raise funds for a cause that is dear to my heart.

When I was 15 years old, family and friends from the small village in Cameroon where I grew up, Mbalmayo, all pitched in to help me move to the states to be with my father and stepmother. This village and the people in it shaped me into the person I am today - they worked to keep me safe, to help with my tuition, and to keep me well fed and learning, both in and outside of school. Everything I learned from my siblings, aunts, grandma, and parents during my early life in Cameroon helped me to survive, thrive, and make a life for myself here, and I’ve remained forever grateful for this opportunity.

Today I want to share my appreciation for Mbalmayo and give back in a tangible way to the happy kids living there now. Like many small village schools, Cedric Stephane in Mbalmayo doesn’t have funds to fully equip the school. Cedric Stephane is a bilingual school named after a baby cousin of mine who passed away; it educates the children in the village from Kindergarten through Primary School. The beautiful children who attend Cedric Stephane work hard and excel in school but also don’t know what a library looks like and don’t have access to after-school programs, decent bathrooms, playgrounds, or toys for the little ones. My hope is for these children to receive their education in a more comfortable setting, versus the bare bones facilities for which current funding allows.

I started hiking recently because I love a challenge, and I’ll be pushing myself over 20+ miles to reach the top of Mt. Whitney, but the greater challenge is to find a way to directly impact and give back to the children of Mbalmayo. I believe improving and enriching their education experience is the most effective way to do this, so I’m asking for your help! Here’s what your donations can do.

If we raise:

$7k: complete building 1; it has 8 classrooms and administration offices.

Note: completing a building includes adding ceilings and flooring in each room, plaster on walls, decorative spaces for the Kindergarten, etc.

$17k: complete building 1 + building 2, which has four classrooms and also houses the nurse’s office.

$32k: we can complete development of all 3 buildings. The third building has three classrooms and will house the library and attached cafeteria, bathroom, and emergency shelter.

$40k-$50k: complete all three buildings, plus we can renovate the playground and sports fields, and add even more books & resources to the library

Anything you can give will be very much appreciated and welcomed. Even if you’re not in a position to donate at the moment, sharing with others in your network is also greatly appreciated.