Waterlooville Maasai elder conquers mountain climb wearing his native dress and sandals

A MAASAI elder has climbed a mountain wearing his native dress and a pair of sandals made from recycled Michelin tyres.
By ron Melton
Published 15th Aug 2019, 12:13 BST
Updated 16th Aug 2019, 21:37 BST
Boniface Mpario, who is from Kirindon in Kenya but now lives in Waterlooville, climbing up Mt Snowdon in Wales in his native dress and recycled tyre sandals to raise money for wheelchairs for disabled people from his homeland.Boniface Mpario, who is from Kirindon in Kenya but now lives in Waterlooville, climbing up Mt Snowdon in Wales in his native dress and recycled tyre sandals to raise money for wheelchairs for disabled people from his homeland.
Boniface Mpario, who is from Kirindon in Kenya but now lives in Waterlooville, climbing up Mt Snowdon in Wales in his native dress and recycled tyre sandals to raise money for wheelchairs for disabled people from his homeland.

Boniface Mpario, from Waterlooville, celebrated reaching the peak of Mount Snowdon in Wales on Sunday, August 11.

The Job Centre worker took on the 1,085m challenge in a bid to raise money so he can design and build eight custom wheelchairs for disabled people in his Kenyan hometown of Kirindon.

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'It was really challenging because of the weather,' he said.

Boniface Mpario, who is from Kirindon in Kenya but now lives in Waterlooville, climbing up Mt Snowdon in Wales in his native dress and recycled tyre sandals to raise money for wheelchairs for disabled people from his homeland.Boniface Mpario, who is from Kirindon in Kenya but now lives in Waterlooville, climbing up Mt Snowdon in Wales in his native dress and recycled tyre sandals to raise money for wheelchairs for disabled people from his homeland.
Boniface Mpario, who is from Kirindon in Kenya but now lives in Waterlooville, climbing up Mt Snowdon in Wales in his native dress and recycled tyre sandals to raise money for wheelchairs for disabled people from his homeland.

‘Because it was raining my feet kept slipping, but I decided not to take a spare pair of shoes with me.

‘I was so sure the straps of my sandals were going to break and I would have to go bare foot, but they held out and there was no chance I was going to turn around.'

Boniface decided to start fundraising after seeing how his disabled brother’s life was changed for the better when he bought him a wheelchair in Kenya, prior to his death in 2017 at the age of 31.

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Since then he has bought at least one more chair for someone in need and has raised more than £1,200 to purchase more.

Good Samaritans, including readers of The News, donated to his cause after he told of his Snowdon challenge earlier this month.

‘When I started I wasn’t expecting so many people to be interested, but I would like to thank everybody for their support,' he said.

Related topics:MichelinWaterloovilleWalesJob centre