9-year-old Thanekar hoists the Indian flag on Mt Kilimanjaro

Endowed with a free and strong spirit and an empowering personality, nine-year-old Grihitha Vichare, a student (IV A) of SVPT Ghodbunder, became the youngest female from India to hoist the tricolour on Mount Kilimanjaro on August 15, 2023.

Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest peak and the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. Uhuru Point summit is 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) above sea level. Mount Kilimanjaro lies 205 miles from the equator in Tanzania.

The flag-off ceremony for Grihitha’s South Africa expedition was done by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde, on August 5, who wished and blessed her. Besides, Mukund Patel and Sangeeta Patel of Rutu Group of Companies had presented Grihitha, a resident of Rutu Enclave, with a cheque of `3,40,000 for this expedition on July 13. Grihitha’s school SVPT Ghodbunder, which always encourages the all-round development of the students, also went the extra mile to support her with a cheque of `50,000, in addition to other concessions related to studies and attendance.

A week before her departure, Grihitha was feverish and was hospitalised. She also celebrated her birthday in the hospital on August 8. A couple of days before flying, she was discharged. Fortunately, when she set foot on foreign soil, she gathered all her tenacity and achieved her goal. Grihitha was accompanied by her father, Sachin Vichare. However, in the last leg of the trek, her father had to withdraw himself from the trek due to illness. He ensured that curtains were not drawn on Grihitha’s expedition. He reached out to a group which was going in the same direction. Grihitha joined the group and completed her odyssey.

Braving chilly winds, battling sub-zero temperatures, and dwindling oxygen levels, Grihitha successfully scaled Mount Kilimanjaro with the blessings of her parents and all her well-wishers.