Frequently asked questions

We are committed to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of children affected by war and conflict. We help children deal with their oftentimes traumatic experiences, and help them to trust others and themselves again. We help children gain confidence and teach them how to read, write and do maths. We create a safe environment where they can catch their breath, play and learn safely - and start building their own peaceful and stable future. Our work sees us provide psychosocial support, child protection and education all over the world. Read more here.

In 2021, we reached 648.477 childrens and parents. Would you like to learn more about our challenges, results and future plans? Read all about it in our Annual Report.

The Kili-Challenge will officially start on March 19, 2023 with the Kick-off meeting. Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 June the preparation weekend is planned in the Belgian Ardennes. All this in preparation for the trip to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro.

The departure dates of the groups are:

• 10 - 19 August 
• 2 - 11 September 

The travel expenses consist of:

• Approximately 18% - Guidance and project organisation
• Approximately 5% - Travel organisation
• Approximately 18% - Costs for the Kilimanjaro National Park (cars, camping, entrance fee, preservation of the national park)
• Approximately 18% - Labor costs for local crew members and associated costs
• Approximately 12% - Hotel accommodation, food, beverages, briefing room and equipment expenses
• Approximately 5% - Equipment (sleeping and kitchen tents, cooking equipment)
• Approximately 18% - Food, drinks, transportation, equipment (and maintenance thereof) during the expedition
• Around 6% - Preparations in the Belgian Ardennes and the Netherlands

 Included (€3.145)

• Fully guided expedition
• Local transfer to and from Kilimanjaro Airport
• Local transportation to and from Mount Kilimanjaro
• Three nights' accommodation in hotel/ lodge in Arusha
• Six nights' accommodation (in a tent) throughout the expedition
• Breakfast and dinner in Arusha (from breakfast on day two up to breakfast on day ten)
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner during the climb
• All local permits and charges (value equivalent to 968,- USD)
• Accident insurance
• At least three preparatory meetings
• Two-day training weekend in the Belgian Ardennes

Not included (additional costs):

• Tips for local staff (mountain guides, porters and kitchen staff) - approx. 180,- USD
• Visa (available upon arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport - approx. 50,- USD)
• Flights
• Vaccinations
• Supplement of a single room and tent: €300,- p/p (optional)
• Beverages and lunch/ snacks in the valley
• Travel and cancellation insurance
• Clothing and other equipment. Rental of down coat, sleeping bag, liner, mattress and hiking poles is optional
• Potentially: unforeseen costs such as those resulting from leaving the expedition early

In total, an approximate number of €1200,- in additional costs is to be expected.

After registration you will receive an invoice from Mountain Network for a deposit of 20% of the travel expenses. Two months prior to depature, you'll receive the remainder invoice for the travel expenses. Please see the travel terms and conditions (in Dutch) for the full payment terms.

The goal of the Kili-Challenge is to help as many conflict-affected children as possible. How you pay (or who pays) for your trip is completely up to you. However, it is important to communicate this clearly to your donors, so they know whether they're funding your trip and/or War Child's programmes. Note: the funds you raise through your fundraising page will go to our projects for children worldwide.

There are several ways to minimise your (travel) expenses. For instance, you can choose to fly to Nairobi and travel the remaining kilometres over land. This will allow you to save some money, but keep in mind you'll need a visa for Kenya. Furthermore, this option will take more time. Please contact Mountain Network if you'd like to know more about this option.

In addition - instead of buying, you can also choose to rent your equipment, or buy your gear second-hand. 

It is important to us that the Kili-Challenge's impact on the environment is as minimal as possible. We realize that the flight to and from Tanzania is of significant harm. In order to be as environmentally friendly as possible, we (partly) compensate the CO2 emissions through a donation of €30,- per participant to JustDiggit. This organisation invests directly in Tanzania with a programme aimed at regreening the country and retaining local rainwater using traditional techniques. Through this, we try to not only compensate our CO2 emissions, but also to the regreening of Africa.

Throughout the expedition we also do our utmost to travel with low environmental impact. All of the waste created by our participants will be collected and be disposed of properly after returning. We also hire an additional porter to gather others people's waste, so we leave no waste behind on the mountain. 

We would very much appreciate your recommendations for increasing the Kili-Challenge's sustainability. Please let us know via challenge@warchild.nl.

We ask every participant to raise a minimum of €2.400,-

Ideally, we would give everyone a chance to join the Kili-Challenge! However, because we do make significant investments and take risks with this project, we have to apply a limit - hence the minimum fundraising target.

But don’t worry! We will do everything in our power to help you reach your fundraising target of €2.400,- If you're having difficulties, we will together come up with a suitable solution. To reassure you a bit: throughout the five years we've been organising the Kili-Challenge, not a single participant was unable to reach the set limit. We have faith in you - and so should you!

As War Child, we do our utmost to keep our organisational costs as low as possible, to ensure that all our donations go towards supporting conflict-affected children. With regards to your €2.400,- at least 90% of your raised funds will directly benefit children in of our programmes. Please find more information on our work here.

Yes, absolutely! We provide you with tips and tricks to ensure you're well-prepared for the expedition! We organise several meetings on the subjects of fundraising, and physical and mental preparation.

We also share a very useful training schedule and a list of required materials with you. Also, our Action Team is ready to help you out in any way possible with your fundraising activities!

Yes you can - in fact, we recommend you do! We have posters and stickers available to support your fundraising. Also, at the beginning of your Kili-Challenge, you will receive a War Child donation box. More information on our work can be found on here.

Of course! You are free to organize actions with other Kili-Challengers. If you need any support and assistance, please reach out to us. Best of luck!

The expenses of our projects vary greatly from country to country, with some countries being more expensive to operate in than others. On average, it costs around €96,- per year to have one child participate in one of our programmes. Our goal is to raise €250.000,- in total with the Kili-Challenge, which means we can support over 2500 conflict-affected children.

There are two start dates: 10 August 2023 and 2 September 2023. This is one day before the start of the expedition. Because you book your own flight, you can decide yourself on what day and time you’d like to arrive. We recommend the daytime flight with KLM (departure at 10:15 AM from Schiphol, Amsterdam, arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport at 08:45 PM). The whole trip is 10 days in total.

What airline you flight with depends on which flight you choose to book. You are free to arrive earlier and/ or leave later than the specified programme. We recommend you book a direct flight to Kilimanjaro Airport from Schiphol, Amsterdam. This will help you avoid issues with your luggage.

Schiphol – Kilimanjaro Airport: departure at 10:15 AM, arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport at 08:45 PM (KLM)

Kilimanjaro Airport – Schiphol Airport: departure at 09:50 PM, arrival at Schiphol Airport at 07:25 AM (KLM)

Yes! Mountain Network offers a three- or five-day safari in Arusha National Park. If you're interested in partaking, please make a note of this when registrating for the Kili-Challenge.

The expedition lasts ten days, of which seven will take place on the mountain. It will take five and a half days to go up, and a day and a half to get back down.

No, this is not possible. We have specifically chosen seven days as it allows your body to properly and safely acclimatize to the higher altitude. This will greatly increase your chances of success.

No. Togehter with our partner organisation Mountain Network we have selected the best route: the Machame Route, located on the south side of Mount Kilimanjaro. This route takes you through magnificent forests, through the moorland zones to the Shira Plateau. You will hike through the southern ice fields to Barafu Camp, and finally to the summit.

Afterwards we descend via Mweka to Millenium Camp, where we will stay for another night before returning to Arusha the following day. The Machame Route is approximately 62 km long.

You will need to be healthy and have good stamina. Especially the night we make our way to Mount Kilimanjaro's summit will be both physically and mentally demanding.

Training three times a week for a period of four months will help ensure you're well-prepared for the journey.

After your registration, you will receive a training schedule from Mountain Network to help prepare you for the expedition.

Yes! The expedition is led by a certified Dutch-speaking tourguide from Mountain Network. The tourguide is supported by certified local guides and assistant-guides. The guides speak English and have a first aid diploma. They are specialised in recognizing and dealing with altitude sickness. Per two participants you will be assigned one guide to ensure you'll have plenty of personal and medical support.

The luggage, food and tents are carried by professional porters. The local travel agent is affiliated with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project - a quality mark that makes sure organizations treat their employees ethically and fairly by providing them with proper clothing and equipment, and pay them a fair wage.

The groups have a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 19 participants. 

No, that is not necessary - unless you have (potential) medical issues which require a doctor’s statement. If you are in any doubt regarding your health, we recommend you undertake a sport medical examination to make sure you don't have any physical limitations that hinder your participation.

Unfortunately, you cannot visit our projects, as we operate in dangerous and oftentimes unsafe areas. Moreover, a visit would not in any way be benefical to the conflict-affected children we work with. Of course, we understand that you'd like to see how your funds support children. To that end, we are as transparent as possible regarding the work we - with you support - undertake.

We encourage you to reach out via phone or e-mail, or follow us on Facebook or Instagram. Also - our Annual Report will tell you everything you'd like to know about our finances, results and goals.