Defying age and harsh conditions, a 17-year-old from Mahabubabad district has conquered Mount Kililmanjaro, Africa’s highest point.
Bhukya Yaswanth, who hails from Bhukya Tanda, a hamlet of Ullepally village in Maripeda mandal, went for rock climbing training at Bhongir in February 2020 after completing class 10 studies. As he showed expertise in climbing rocks, he was offered a seat at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Sikkim. He has earlier climbed a 6,000-metre mountain in Ladakh.
His next big goal was to scale Kilimanjaro, the 5,895-metre snowcapped mountain in Tanzania. He left for Africa along with two others from Maharashtra, thanks to financial support of some philanthropists. He started his expedition on August 19, and it took him about four days to reach the top. He headed down to the base and made it in two days.
“I do have a big dream of joining the Indian Army and I was informed that mountaineering is something that will add to the weightage for selection. Hence, I choose this,” Yashwant told The Hindu from Africa.
The expedition was organised by Trans Adventures company, he added.
Yaswnath’s father Bhukya Ram Murthy is working as contract worker in power department while mother Jyothi is a homemaker.
Currently, the teenager is being supported by Sarvodaya Gram Seva Foundation with a monthly stipend. “Some of my friends also extended required assistance to send him to Africa,” said P. Sudhakar Naik, deputy commissioner of Income Tax, who is also associated with the foundation.
