Hi! I'm Paul Gibson,

This summer, I'm going to attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa at 19,341 feet. Over 7 days, I will hike 45 miles with a team of friends and colleagues. I'm not a professional athlete. I'm not a seasoned mountaineer. I'm a board chair who loves a group of kids deeply enough to put on hiking boots and start climbing.

And I need your help to make it matter.

My goal is to raise $50,000 for the children in the Children of Grace program before I reach that summit. Every dollar goes directly to their care. Every step I take up that mountain is one I'm taking for them.

I hope you'll take this journey with me. Check out my quick video below.

Let Me Tell You Who I'm Climbing For

I've been serving on the board of Children of Grace or a part of this organization as a donor since 2008. In that time, I've seen what this organization does up close, I've lived in Uganda and worked on the ground, and I've met the children whose lives depend on it.

These are orphans and vulnerable children who have lost parents to illness, poverty, or tragedy. Children with no safety net, no advocate, and no guarantee that tomorrow will be better than today.

What Children of Grace gives them is simple and profound all at once:

🍽️ Nutritious meals — so no child goes to bed hungry
🏫 Education and school fees — so every child has a future to look forward to
🏥 Medical care — so a treatable illness doesn't become a tragedy
🏠 Safe community — so every child knows they belong somewhere
❤️ Spiritual care and mentorship — so every child knows they are loved and not forgotten
🎓 Leadership Training & Development — so every child can reach their potential and break the cycle of poverty off of their life.

I've seen what happens when a child has these things. I've also seen what happens when they don't. That's why I'm climbing.

Why Kilimanjaro?

Honestly? Someone challenged me. And I said yes before I had time to think about it.

But the more I've trained, and the more I've thought about it, the more I believe this is exactly what I'm supposed to do.

Here's the thing, these kids climb their own Kilimanjaro every single day. They wake up without parents. Without certainty. Without the things most of us take completely for granted. And they get up and keep going.

If they can do that, I can climb one mountain.

I'll be on the mountain for 7 days this July, and I plan to take you along the journey with me. I want you to feel every step of this with me, the hard days, the beautiful days, and hopefully, the summit.

Two Ways to Be Part of This Climb

I want to be really clear about something: every dollar you give helps us care for more children in need. Not to my trip. Not to my hike. To them.

There are two ways you can help:

🥾 OPTION 1 — Sponsor a Mile for $25

The trail from base to summit and back is 45 miles. Sponsor a mile of my hike for just $25.

When you sponsor a mile, you're not just making a donation, you're claiming a piece of this journey.

Want to sponsor more than one mile? Even better. Grab 5 miles for $125, 10 miles for $250, or go all in and sponsor the whole mountain hike with me for $1,125. If 45 friends or companies sponsor the whole hike for $1,125, we'll hit our goal of $50,000 together!

45 miles. $25 each. Let's fill every one of them until we reach $50,000.

OPTION 2 — Give What's On Your Heart

If you'd rather give a specific amount, here's what your gift could make possible for a child in our program:

Here's what your generosity makes possible:

Your Gift	What Your Gift Could Do
$50	One month of nutritious meals for a child
$100	School supplies and a uniform for one year
$250	Specialized medical care and medication for a child with a chronic illness.
$600	Full school fees for one primary school-aged child for an entire year
$1,000	Full school fees for one secondary school-aged child for an entire year
$5,000	Fund a development camp for students

Whatever you can give, it matters. A $50 gift is a month of meals. That is not a small thing to a hungry child.

Follow Me Up the Mountain

Starting in May, I'll be posting training updates back here on this page. Be sure to check back for updates here or follow along on the Children of Grace's social pages, so you don't miss a single update.

📱 Follow along: Facebook & Instagram

One More Ask

If giving isn't possible for you right now, I completely understand. But I have one other request, would you share this page with one person who might give?

One share. One gift. One child whose life gets to be different.

That's all it takes. And it would mean everything to me and to them.

Thank you for being part of this. I'll see you on the mountain.

Paul Gibson
Board Chair, Children of Grace

About Children of Grace

Children of Grace is a faith-based nonprofit organization in Uganda dedicated to providing holistic care for orphans and vulnerable children. Through our program, we walk alongside children who have lost parents or family stability — giving them the nutrition, education, medical care, and loving community they need to not just survive, but thrive.

25 Years of Impact
10,000+ Children Cared For
Over 1,000,000 Meals Served
91 Communities Changed

I'm Climbing Kilimanjaro for Kids Who Have No One. Will You Sponsor My Climb?

This summer I'm hiking 45 miles to the summit of Africa's highest peak to raise $50,000 for the orphans in our program. Sponsor a mile for $25 — or give whatever is on your heart. Every dollar impacts a child.

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