The mountain is not the story. The people are.

Why are we climbing Mount Kenya?

Bettina and I are leaving for Kenya on Thursday.

We have been asked this several times in the last few days:

Why would a medical aid organization climb a mountain?

The answer has nothing to do with the mountain.

She deals with people.

Through our work with Gyn-Help, we encounter women and girls whose lives have been shaped by circumstances they never chose. Early pregnancies, lack of access to medical care, interrupted schooling, or limited opportunities – behind each of these terms is a person with their own unique story.

But we also experience something else.

Courage.

Hope.

And the unwavering will to continue on one's own path.

That's exactly why we're taking part in the Girl Interrupted Climb on Mount Kenya.

Not because a mountain changes the world.

But because it brings together people who want to change something together.

Together with On Board Together , Kilimanjaro Initiative , Forward Motion , Association JeunesParents , Together with Fit For Future Kenya , gynhealth AG , gynpoint AG , dedicated doctors, young mothers, youth ambassadors and many other partners, we are setting an example for education, health, self-determination and equal opportunities.

For Gyn-Help, health means far more than medical care.

Health means that girls can go to school.

Health means having access to knowledge and being able to make self-determined decisions.

Health means dignity.

The summit will only be a brief moment.

The conversations, encounters, and partnerships that arise along this path can have an impact far beyond that.

As a photographer, I've learned that every face tells a story.

As a gynecologist, Bettina experiences every day that behind every patient lies an entire life.

That's exactly what this journey is about.

Our heartfelt thanks go to all the people and organizations who are walking this path with us.

Change doesn't happen in one big step.

It is created through many small steps – which we take together.

We look forward to taking you along on our journey in the coming days.