A book detailing the experience of one of Africa’s child online rights activists, Awo Aidam Amenyah while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain has been launched in Ghana’s capital Accra.
In 2019 Amenyah, a Ghanaian woman announced her decision to climb Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about online safety.
She was at the time advocating and pushing for the protection of children online, hoping to raise funds to continue several online intervention programs for children.
Amenyah who is the executive director of the organization, Child Online Africa was successful with her climbing expedition called “Kili4theAfricanChild”.
She has now detailed her experience while climbing the mountain in a book that also highlights the online safety needs of the African child.
The 112 page book focused on Amenyah’s stories of preparation for Mt. Kilimanjaro, lessons from the summit of the mountain, post-climb reflections, insights on family media usage, a practical tech detox plan for teenagers and self-paced Child Online Protection courses—for all stakeholders.
In a speech during the launch, Amenyah said the idea to climb the mountain wasn’t received well by some initially but was proud she accomplished it.
“When I first shared the idea behind #Hike4TheChildOnline, it wasn’t met with excitement. In fact, the concept was rejected by many indirectly especially when the details of the hike and the risks involved were revealed,” she said.
Amenyah also revealed that writing the book after climbing the mountain was also another challenge.
“Let me be honest: This journey to write The Silent Mountaineer wasn’t easy. It drained me—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Three days just to acclimatize for the hike. Six more in changing temperatures. And yet, somehow, with every mile, every blister, and every shiver, the vision got clearer.”
Amenyah said the entire hike and reaching the summit of the mountain empowered her to push further for her cause of advocating for children’s rights online.
“Reaching the summit changed me. With every step, I thought of the children who have voice but no voice in the digital space. Writing this book helped me process those thoughts, those fears, and those prayers,” she said, adding that “The Silent Mountaineer” is not just a book. It is a call to action. A call inspired by faith. A call driven by love. A call fueled by justice—for the foundation of the future (children).”
Mount Kilimanjaro has three volcanic cones namely the “Kibo”, “Mawenzi”, and “Shira”. It is a dormant volcano in Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa. Kilimanjaro’s summit is about 4,900 metres from its base, and 5,895 metres above sea level.
