HATS OFF AS GEITA GOLD MINING LTD CONTINUES WITH KILI CHALLENGE AGAINST AIDS

Some participants of the Geita Gold Mining Ltd Kili Challenge 2022 campaign who climbed Mountain Kilimanjaro with the aim of raising funds for the fight against HIV. This year a total of TSh 1.1 billion was collected by GGML through various stakeholders.

As the World AIDS Day is celebrated today, Geita Gold Mining Limited (GGML) in Tanzania has vowed to continue with the fight against HIV/AIDS through its Kili Challenge Campaign initiave.

With support and collaboration from stakeholders, the campaign has made great strides and impact since its inception in 2002 to the extent of becoming an international fund.

Making the revelation in Lindi, Dr. Kiva Mvungi, Senior Manager (Health Safety, Environment and Training) at Geita Gold Mining Limited said the campaign launched 20 years ago was aimed at raising awareness and funds to fight HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.

He remarked, "The Kili Challenge has evolved into an international fund involving Kilimanjaro climbers and cyclists from all seven continents and more than twenty countries." We are glad that this accomplishment allows us to make this fund sustainable so that the government's goals against this epidemic can be met."

Dr. Mvungi elaborated by stating that this year, GGML, in collaboration with the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), through the Kili Challenge campaign, was able to raise more than 1.1 billion Tanzanian Shillings (TZS) to be used in the fight against the pandemic.

Dr. Mvungi stated that the GGM Kili Challenge 2022 campaign, which commenced on June 29 and concluded on July 21 of this year, has supported the government's efforts to reach the three zero targets, namely; zero new HIV infections, zero deaths connected to AIDS, and zero discrimination.

52 people were enlisted for this year's campaign, with 24 climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on foot and 28 cycling around the summit from the Machame Gate to the Mweka Gate.

This year's campaign was launched in the capital Dodoma on 14 July, followed by a subsequent fundraising event accompanied by free, voluntary HIV/AIDS and diabetes testing and COVID-19 vaccinations for Moshi and Kilimanjaro residents.

Dr. Leonard Maboko, director of TACAIDS, stated that a total of $1.1 billion was raised during the campaign and urged other stakeholders to follow Geita Gold Mining Limited's lead.