Halstead teen tackling mountain to fund clean water in Kenya

An 18-year-old student from Halstead, Katie Rose, will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in August to raise funds for Dig Deep, a charity providing clean water and safe toilets in Bomet County, Kenya, where two-thirds lack clean water and over half lack safe sanitation. Katie, who studies natural sciences at Nottingham University and lives with coeliac disease, has already raised £2,787 toward her £2,990 goal and plans to use the challenge to raise awareness about her condition while supporting the charity’s mission." "article": "Katie Rose, an 18-year-old student from Halstead, will climb Mount Kilimanjaro later this summer to support Dig Deep, a charity working in Bomet County, Kenya. The charity focuses on providing clean water and safe toilets, as two in three people in the region lack access to clean water and over half lack safe sanitation facilities. Katie, who studies natural sciences at Nottingham University, was inspired to take on the challenge after representatives from Dig Deep visited her university to recruit students for fundraising efforts. The six-day trek will involve climbing from rainforest trails to the summit, where temperatures drop to -18°C. On the final day, Katie and a group of around 15 students will spend 16 hours ascending to the peak, witnessing the sunrise over Kenya. The climb is scheduled to begin on August 26, the day before her 19th birthday. So far, Katie has raised £2,787 toward her £2,990 fundraising target. Katie also aims to raise awareness about coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition she lives with. She hopes to demonstrate that individuals with the condition can still achieve significant challenges. ‘Climbing Kilimanjaro is quite a personal challenge—you need a lot of resilience,’ she said. ‘People think coeliac disease is just gluten-free, but it affects your whole life. To do it with coeliac disease is an extra challenge in itself.’ Katie attended Holy Trinity Primary School and The Ramsey Academy, where she was head girl. Her former primary school recently held a bake sale to support her fundraising efforts as part of their Water Aid school project. She later visited the pupils to thank them and discuss her climb, where students asked questions and tried on her climbing gear. Katie expressed excitement and nerves, emphasizing the importance of the cause: ‘It’s fundraising for a good cause to help ensure people in Kenya have access to safe toilets and hygiene, and all the things we take for granted.’