A Journey in Her Life – Tsungai Muvingi
Tsungai on the Climb
It takes courage and conviction to climb a mountain. It is physically strenuous and tiring. It tests your mind and body, muscles and all, but mostly it tests your spirit and heart. That was my experience on July 23rd, when I climbed The Opal Range, in Kananaskis, Alberta. It begins with your motivation to climb and grows with your determination to see it through to the end. So, I found it inspiring that people with no prior climbing experience, wanted to do just that. More so, it was humbling because these people were doing it to save a woman and her family. A woman many of them have never met. This is no ordinary woman, but a woman who has been through so much. A woman who has no voice to speak out for herself; whose spirit has been crushed so many times she sees no hope for tomorrow. The woman I am referring to is the woman who has found her way into prostitution, not because she wants to or likes it, but because she sees no other option or because she has been sold or tricked into it. These seem horrific and scary scenarios, far removed from our daily lives, but they are reality.
Imagine a new immigrant who faces language and cultural barriers and doesn’t realise what she is getting into. All she wants is a job so she can feed her family. Imagine a young woman at the age of 15 who all of a sudden finds she has a family to care for after her parents die. With little or no outside help she finds herself a victim of the streets. This is the woman 30 World Financial Group and a couple of The Salvation Army brave hearts including myself climbed to support. The climb was a journey representing humanity walking with this woman and helping her to find herself again.
I climbed the mountain with this group because each step up that I took represented a step closer to safety, warmth, self-respect, good health and finding meaning that this woman will experience from the simplicity and bravery of everyday good Samaritans. I climbed the Opal Range in Kananaskis, because it was my personal journey with each of these women who need a voice to speak up for them. I can be that voice until they have theirs back. I climbed 6336 ft in Kananaskis country to give this woman and her family a leg up. I didn’t make it to the top, the full 8448ft, but achieving three-quarters of the way and returning with battle scars (torn pants and a couple of bruises) made it worthwhile, knowing the hardships were temporary; yet so crucial for a sex trade worker’s opportunity to leave the streets. Also knowing that for the woman in prostitution, the hardships are not temporary until she can find a safe place to start anew, my hardships on this climb seemed rather insignificant. Each time I felt like giving up, I thought of the sex trade worker, who endures worse everyday. I placed myself in her shoes and realized that being tired or experiencing muscle soreness was trivial because she experienced this everyday with no sign of relief coming anytime soon. If she can endure her hardships so she can support herself and her loved ones, I sure could endure mine for that day.
So, what began this journey? A group of conscientious individuals seeking social justice. They support and believe you can do anything you set your mind to. They decided to put belief into action by giving back to the community in relevant, meaningful ways representing the personal journeys of those they are giving back to. Long after the climb is over this inspirational group will continue the fight for a safe house for women to come off the streets, helping give hope for today and tomorrow. I am one person and so are each of the climbers, but put together our individual efforts are accomplishing much much bigger things than if we tried to go it alone. Why don’t you join us by donating to Summits of Change? Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or click here for a secure form to make your donation.
To all World Financial Group Associates that climbed and raised funds, as well as to those people across Canada who supported Summits of Change, Thank You. It was a privilege sharing the journey with you especially knowing that together with The Salvation Army we are indeed Giving Hope Today, one person at a time.
