Just want to update you all that the ladies at the tailor course has passed their exam!!!
They proudly present their diploma in the dress they had to make to pass their exam

NEW START…NEW LIFE…NEW YEAR
For English scroll down
​​ASKEPOTT-HISTORIEN
Dette er historien om Askepott Juliet, den fattigste av dem alle i Kigungu. Hun gikk i søppelhaugene og lette etter mat til barna sine, hun bodde i et lite skur og hadde hverken mat eller klær til seg selv og barna.
Jeg bestemte meg for at jeg ville hjelpe henne til å få et bedre liv… permanent. Hva ville vell ikke gjøre situasjonen bedre enn å ha sitt eget sted uten husleie og med jord som kunne dyrkes?
Jeg startet den lange prosessen med land-kjøp. Først måtte jeg bli kjent med hele prosessen med hvordan en kjøper land i Uganda. Så måtte jeg finne ut av alle fellene…og dem er det mange av. Og det er nok av de historiene om folk som har kjøpt “luft”. Mange selger nemlig land som de ikke eier…ja, jeg ble også forsøkt lurt to ganger…
Jeg måtte også sette meg inn i hvordan vi kunne sette opp en kontrakt som var gyldig og som ikke tillot en ex-mann å komme tilbake og kreve å få overta eller være medeier i eiendommen. 
Det var en kronglete og lærerik vei, men til slutt fant vi et stort og flott stykke land med et lite 2-roms hus på, samt toalett.
Eiendommen ligger flott til med utsikt til Victoriasjøen og flyplassen. Det er en fruktbar eiendom med store trær med avocado, mango og jack-fruit.
Forrige helg drog jeg ned til Uganda og besokte dem. De flyttet inn i Januar, og siden den gang har Juliet dyrket mais og bonner, og hun har allerede hostet avocadoer som hun har solgt pa markedet.
De er alle sa utrolig glade for deres nye hus, deres nye eiendom, deres nye liv!

Tusen takk til Jorunn, Erling, Margrete, Vegar, Kristine, Anne-Kathrine, Ola, Kathrine, Siw, Hilde, Janicke, Camilla, Heidi Kraft og Inger Johanne som var med på å gjøre dette mulig!

NEW START…NEW LIFE…NEW YEAR
ENGLISH
​​The Cinderella story
This is the story of Cinderella Juliet, the poorest of them all in Kigungu. Every day she had to search in garbage bins for food for her children, she lived in a small shed and had neither food nor clothes for herself or the children.
She told me that when she went to bed in the evening she wished she would not wake up to another day of struggling to get food for her children.
I thought, “I can do something”! I decided to help her get a better life ... permanently.
What could be better than owning your own land with your own house?
I started the long process of land purchase. First, I had to get to know the whole process of buying a land in Uganda. Then I had to figure out all the traps ... and there are many of them. I have heard plenty of stories about people who have bought "air". Many sell properties that they do not own ... And yes, twice I had to back out of deals because it was not real land.
I also had to find out how we could set up a contract that was valid and did not allow any ex-husband to come back and claim to take over or be co-owner of the property.
It was a bumpy road but I learned a lot and in the end we found a large and beautiful piece of land with a little house and outhouse.
The property is so beautiful with a view to Lake Victoria. It is a fertile property with large trees; avocado, mango and jack fruit.
Last week I went down to Uganda from South Sudan to visit them, and Juliet has been working a lot on the property. She has planted beans and corn plants. She has already harvested avocados and sold at the marked.
They are all so happy about their new house, their new life!!!
Many thanks to Jorunn, Erling, Margrete, Vegar, Kristine, Anne-Kathrine, Ola, Kathrine, Siw, Hilde, Janicke, Camilla, Heidi Kraft og Inger Johanne who helped to make this possible!

​FOR ENGLISH; SCROLL DOWN
So what happened to Juliet and her boys?
Ja, hva skjedde med Juliet og guttene hennes..?
Det siste du leste om gutta var hvordan Enocke og Ntabazi hadde det på skolen sin. (https://www.mountainvibs.com/blog/entebbe-childrens-wellfare-primary-school ) 
Jeg fortalte ogsaa at Juliet hadde fått penger til å kjøpe nye sko til alle gutta, men det stoppet ikke der. To gode venner Jorunn og Erling ble inspirert og donerte penger til dem. Jeg satt opp en liste og budsjett sammen med Juliet over hvilke klær de alle trengte, og hun fikk pengene og gikk på markedet sammen med sin søster Mastula. Det er nemlig ikke lurt at jeg handler noe for da tillegges hva jeg kaller “skin tax”. Det vil si at alt koster litt mer for de med min hudfarge. Helt ok spør du meg; vi tjener jo mere.
Så da var det opp til Juliet og Mastula og få så mye som mulig ut av pengene….og det gjorde de virkelig. De var noen kløppere til å prute og kom tilbake med alle klærne vi var blitt enige om, og i tillegg hadde Juliet kjøpt 30 små kyllinger, fôr til dem og vaksine til dem. Ikke nok med det…hun hadde også kjøpt mais-planter som hun dagen etter plantet på sin nye eiendom.
Ja, du leste riktig; NY EIENDOM.

​What happened to Juliet and her boys?
Last time you read about this little family, I told you about how Enocke and Ntabazi was doing at their school (See the story here: https://www.mountainvibs.com/blog/entebbe-childrens-wellfare-primary-school )
I told you that Juliet got money to buy new shoes for the boys, but it didn't stop there. Two good friends of mine; Jorunn and Erling were so kind and donated money to this little family.
Together with Juliet I sat down and made a budget and a list of the clothes they all needed. She got the money and went to the market with her sister Mastula.
If I had gone shopping it would have been added what I call "skin tax" to all prices. That means everything costs a little more for those with my skin color. And if you ask me, that is totally fair as we tend to earn more.  
Then it was up to Juliet and Mastula to bargain and get as much as they could out of the money they got .... and they really did. They came back with all the clothes we had agreed upon, and in addition, Juliet bought 30 chickens, food for them and vaccination for them. She even managed to get corn plants that she planted on her new property the following day.
Yes, you read correctly; NEW PROPERTY.

A PEACEFUL EVENING
I just wanted to share with you one of my peaceful evenings out in the village.
It is just so amazing to sit together with my friends and see life goes by...
The pictures speaks for them selves...., when I look at them I can feel the peaceful and the quiet atmosphere.
Mande is looking after her baby brother Risig and all the dogs are sleeping around them.
Two of my friends from the village are passing by in the sunset. They are coming back from one of their many trips down to the well, collecting water.
The sun is setting and giving the sky colors of hope for a safe night and a peaceful day tomorrow.

I remember first time I met the two initiators, Nat and Nicks.
We met at the airport in Oslo. They only had some few hours in between flights, but I knew it right away; they can do it!
I remember they were so humble and they asked me after we had talked for a bit; do you think it is realistic? Do you think we can do it?
My answer was clear; yes you can! 
I belived in them from day one, and now I am so proud of them!
I had the honor and privilege to be their instructor at their training and selection prior to their huge achievement.
We met twice for training in the northern part of Norway and we enjoyed great days in freezing cold, high wind and actually very little snow...but enough to walk for days without seeing anything but reindeer and some reindeer herders on their snowmobiles. 
We trained navigating in whiteout....well, not quite true as we used the black hours of the day as our "whiteout", we trained rescue from crevasses.... well, also not quite true as we didn't have any crevasses so we used some frozen waterfalls and some small snowy canyons. And we walked for hours and hours to train the efficiency in having breaks with all the tasks needed to be done in only 10 minutes and starting on time. We trained on setting camps and being efficient in our work in the tent and in the camps. And we trained all this small things that means so much when you are living in harsh conditions. 
...like using a pee funnel, melting snow in the most efficient way, repairing the stove and the sled and the tents, shoes, gloves,....

They went from 22 girls to 4 (plus Nat and Nicks) and I had the privilege to get to know them all and to spend so great days together with them in the cold!
Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS to you!!!

I got myself a really nice little home under the big tree! I used old branches from surrounding trees as my mattress and to make thicker "walls". I found a large log and made a nice campfire so I could cook my meal and keep warm through the night. 
It was just amazing to sit and stare into the flames and follow some of the sparks.....flying like fireflies up up up to the stars...

THE GRAND OPENING OF QUEEN'S NURSERY & PRIMARY SCHOOL
So excited all of us were!!
Finally the school opened Monday the 5th of February.
All of the kids in this area, haven't had a school since the crisis in 2016.
During the July crisis of 2016 the villages adjacent to the UNbase Nakituni and African Queens were harassed and attacked, the area was heavily contested over a four day period resulting in the looting of most of their belongings and total destruction of community areas including the local school.
Village elders have worked tirelessly over the past 12 months to rebuild their lives, unfortunately with a dire economic situation, fragile security and scarce employment they have been unable to re-establish their lost school without assistance.
This Monday was a very important day for all!!
All the children and all their parents had dressed up in their nicest clothes. And the first once arrived already one hour before the opening ceremony.
And then it all started; the opening ceremony with all the speeches under a big mango tree. They all sat so patiently.
After one hour they finally could run around and try their new class rooms and play ground.
They were all so excited and told me what they wanted to become when they grew up; one wanted to be an astronaut, one wanted to be a driver, one told me he wanted to be a shop keeper.
And very many of them dreamt about being a teacher.

With 72 percent of children out of school, South Sudan ranks worst in education among all African nations, according to the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF). One of the most common reasons for non-attendance is the long distance students have to walk to school. School enrollment, which was 42 percent at the start of the war, has plummeted. Only 700,000 school-aged children out of a total of 2.5 million attend classes, UNICEF says. The world’s youngest nation gained independence in 2011, but civil war erupted in late 2013. Tens of thousands have been killed and one-third of the country’s 12 million-strong population has fled their homes, creating Africa’s largest refugee crisis. In the capital city Juba, UN has two large bases, one housing UN staff and approx. 40,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). These IDPs are now receive protection and support from the UN and Inter National Humanitarian agencies, including free education. However, the communities adjacent to the base and IDP camp receive very little support either from the Government or the International community.
During the July crisis of 2016 the villages adjacent to the UNbase Nakituni and African Queens were harassed and attacked, the area was heavily contested over a four day period resulting in the looting of most of their belongings and total destruction of community areas including the local school. Village elders have worked tirelessly over the past 12 months to rebuild their lives, unfortunately with a dire economic situation, fragile security and scarce employment they have been unable to reestablish their lost school without assistance.
CURRENT SITUATION: In direct cooperation with the community of African Queens village, four buildings have been sourced (three classrooms and an office/store) two teachers have agreed to return and funding has been agreed to open the school and provide free education for three months, after which the school will be self-funded by the community - as it was prior to Jul 16.
At the 5th of February 2018 the school opened with 51 children but they expect to attract up to 100 within weeks and potentially numbers will rise to several hundred or more within months.
Being in school gives children some protection from being recruited as child soldiers or forced into other dangerous means of survival, such as selling sex.

NEW SCHOOL UNIFORMS for the new school!
Tomorrow is the official start of all schools here in South Sudan, the youngest nation on this planet. 
You can come with me to Queen's Nursery & Primary School here in the outskirt of Juba the capital of South Sudan. 
The preparations have been going on for a while. 
I have been lucky to be working on this project with the local community and my colleague Rog; thank you for your great effort! 
This school will open tomorrow after two years without any school for this children.
They are all so very excited!!!
And they all need new uniforms; so this weekend the tailors came to the village to measure all the kids for their new school uniforms. All the kids were queuing patiently. They were excited, very proud and some of the youngest were afraid.
Thank you so much Jerry Bueno and Atle Haugland for your contribution to help them getting school uniforms!  I also want to say a huge thank you to Ahmed ‎احمد كون‎ ‎ who supports us every step along this road.
Many months of planning will come to an end on Monday morning and many happy kids will finally be back in school. 
New hope for the future of this young country.

NEW YEAR'S 2018 CELEBRATION IN SOUTH SUDAN
How wonderful to be back home to my dear friends.
And how amazing it is when they welcome me like this. 
They give from the very little they have, they sing and they dance. 
I was so lucky to celebrate New Year for the second time with my dear friends here in the countryside in South Sudan. They prepared the best coffee you can ever dream of getting, the best tea and the best pancakes!!!
And thanks to my good friends and colleagues at Sessvollmoen I managed to fill 2 bags x 23kg with clothes and toys. Thank you Camilla Furuseth-Bjørkheim, Grete H. Hustad, Endre Nedberg, Cathinka Landmark Haakonsen and Nadia Kristine Warvik Voukelatos! Also a huge thanks to Eric who supported with a lot of toys and clothes!

ANTARCTICA
Looking out over the endless expanse of snow and ice... just breathtaking and a huge reminder of how extremely isolated we are on this continent.
The summit of Mt. Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak and my Seventh Summit! Clear sky, temperature -28 degrees C and the winds whipped at 15 knots.
Just amazing!!!! Sooooooo happy!!!!
Thank you ACLIMA AS and Jentesport for your support!!
More pictures soon 😊

ANTARCTICA what an amazing place to be!!! 
To live down here for a little while, 
to breath this cold, dry, fresh air, and to enjoy every single step to the top of Mt Vinson... 
I am so humble and greatful! 
Thank you @aclima_norway for keeping me warm!! 
And thanks to @jentesport and @aclima_norway for supporting me all the way to the top of Mt Vinson and being with me at all the 7 Summits #aclima#jentesport #mtvinson #antarctica #climbing #7summits 
Photo credit: Tommy Danger

​

Over 600 pounds of gear packed and ready to go. This is only some of our gear as we all have carry on gear and will be wearing 10-20 pounds of gear as well.
Let’s hope for good weather tomorrow and get down to Antarctica.

The travel bug has started her marathon Juba(South Sudan)- Nairobi(Kenya)- Amsterdam(NL)- Oslo(N)- London(UK)- Madrid(ES)- Santiago(Chile)- Punta Arenas(Chile)- Union Glacier Antarctica....
Met new friends and old friends and a wonderful crew on the flight to Santiago. Thank u!!!
I even managed to put in the whole Christmas day with my Chilean family in Santiago. Thank you for making this xmas special!!!