• A Cape Town mother and her son are gearing up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
• They are hoping to raise up to R50 000 for the Sandton SPCA.
• The hike is set to be done over seven days. 

A Cape Town mother and her 14-year-old son are gearing up to take on the biggest challenge of their lives – climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.

The duo said they had planned to take on the challenge in 2020, but were forced to postpone the trip due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to News24, Anile Peiser, 48, said the aim was to raise funds for the Sandton SPCA.

“My son, Jayden, has been wanting to climb the mountain since he was eight years old. At the time, I thought it was just a phase he was going through, and that it would pass.

“But, year after year on his birthday, I’d ask him what he wanted for his birthday and he’d say, ‘I want to climb Killi’ – and this continued for a few years. Eventually, I gave in, and this year we are taking it on,” said Peiser.

She said it was expensive, especially considering the expedition costs, flights, and obtaining specialised gear, but that she and her husband were determined to make their son’s dream a reality. And, at the same time, doing something good for the animal welfare organisation.

“Jayden’s love of nature, willpower and persistence are quite admirable and I believe he’s capable of doing it. His love for animals is what has driven his challenge. We are a family that has immense love for them, and to be able to raise funds for the good of animals is a bonus,” said Peiser.

The Peiser family pictured while on a hike.

Photo SuppliedSupplied

Both mom and son are training as much as they can for the challenge, which will take place over seven days.

They are hoping to raise close to R50 000 for the SPCA through their Backabuddy account.

“I got introduced to doing the hike via Sean Disney from Adventures Dynamic International – and, at the time, the organiser was directly involved with the Sandton SPCA,” said Peiser.

This will be Peiser’s second climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sandton SPCA’s spokesperson, Meg Wilson, said: “We are a non-profit organisation that relies solely on the generosity of the public to keep our doors open.

“This year, we are seeing an increase in the intake of animals. This can be due to the socio-economic time that we are in. People cannot afford their animals anymore. They are downsizing their homes or leaving the province or country, and cannot afford to take their animals.”

The organisation said the funds raised will be used to serve the community and the animals.

Peiser and her son are set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro first week in July.