Expert’s Corner: From Manitoba to Mt. Kilimanjaro

December 2011

By: Paul D. Larson, CN Professor of SCM

On January 25, 2012, a team of Canadian climbers, including myself, will begin an ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a fundraiser for CARE Canada. By early February, we plan to reach the summit.

As a supply chain professor at the University of Manitoba, I became aware of the work CARE Canada is doing all over the world while organizing a conference on humanitarian logistics several years ago. Led by President and CEO Kevin McCort, CARE Canada is an innovator in developing humanitarian supply chain relationships.

Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro (“Kili”) sits in northern Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa, rising from the rainforest to 5,895 meters (19,336 feet). Kili’s glaciers have receded by 33 percent since 1989, when there were 3.3 square kilometers, and at this rate Kili may be ice-free within two decades. If Kilimanjaro loses its snowy top, the repercussions could be very serious: the glaciers are essential to survival of local villages; supplying drinking water, irrigating crops and providing hydroelectric power.

The population of Tanzania is 43 million; it is one of the world’s poorest countries, but despite its own overwhelming poverty Tanzania also plays host to more than a half-million African refugees, more than any other African nation. Supply chains in such places face many obstacles, including lack of infrastructure and service providers; proneness to political and military influence; poor collaboration among stakeholders, with various missions and agendas; and daunting security issues. Also, origins and destinations of suppliers and customers (beneficiaries) may shift without warning, which can dramatically affect an organization’s ability to respond to crises.

Defending dignity; fighting poverty

A division of one of the largest private humanitarian organizations in the world, CARE Canada’s mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. They envision a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security.

While CARE works with all people in need, there is a special focus on women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by poverty and discrimination. Lack of education for girls means earlier marriages, higher birth rates and lower incomes. Women are very important in any plans to overcome poverty, as they tend to transfer improvements in their lives to their children, families and communities.

CARE began working in Tanzania in April 1994, in response to the crisis in Rwanda and the resulting influx of refugees. Since then, CARE Tanzania has developed and implemented education, health, and other programs across the country. Prior to the climb, our team will visit a CARE project, to learn more about development aid and meet the people being empowered to overcome poverty.

Climbing for CARE Canada

All over the world, humanitarians are helping the people they serve climb a mountain, out of poverty, and this climb allows me to merge my passions for humanitarian supply chains, mountaineering and aid work. For me, the CARE Canada Kilimanjaro expedition is more than an adventure; it is about making a difference, and bringing back the lessons I’ve learned to help inform and educate others with an interest in humanitarian supply chains and development.

Please call 204 474-6054 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information on the Climb for CARE. To make a donation, please go to www.climbforcare.ca, scroll down to CLIMBERS, click on Paul Larson and scroll down to DONATE DIRECTLY. All donations go to CARE Canada.