Young content creator to summit Kilimanjaro in bid to raise more than R180,000 for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Southern Africa

As South Africa commemorates Youth Month, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Southern Africa has partnered with 23-year-old content creator Leonie Buchegger, who will attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro from 1–10 July 2026, to raise €10,000 (equivalent to R187,691) for the organisation's independent medical humanitarian programmes around the world.

The campaign, themed "Summit to Save Lives", celebrates the power of youth-led action while supporting communities affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural disasters and limited access to healthcare.

At a time when millions of young people globally are navigating social, economic and humanitarian challenges, the initiative seeks to demonstrate how individual action can contribute to meaningful change.

Based in Berlin, Buchegger has travelled to more than 60 countries, documenting her experiences and connecting with audiences through her social media platforms. For her, the expedition represents far more than a personal challenge.

"Young people have always been a force for positive change," says Buchegger. "I've been fortunate enough to travel extensively and witness both the beauty of our world and the inequalities that still exist within it. When I learned more about the work of MSF teams responding to emergencies around the globe, I wanted to find a meaningful way to contribute. Climbing Kilimanjaro is an opportunity to use my platform to raise awareness and support people who urgently need access to medical care."

Ahead of the climb, Buchegger will visit MSF teams in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where she will gain a deeper understanding of the organisation's work and the healthcare challenges faced by many communities across the country.

The visit will provide insight into the realities of delivering medical care in resource-constrained settings, and the vital role humanitarian organisations play in ensuring access to healthcare for vulnerable populations.

MSF hopes the campaign will encourage more young people to recognise their own ability to contribute to causes they care about.

"We are incredibly grateful to Leonie for taking on such an ambitious challenge in support of our humanitarian work," says Mbali Mzinyane, MSF Southern Africa’s digital fundraising specialist. "Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is no small feat, and we look forward to following her journey. It is truly inspiring that, at a time when social media is such a powerful tool, Leonie is using her platform to raise awareness and funds for people affected by crises around the world. Her commitment reflects the positive impact that determined young people can have when they champion causes they care about, and we are proud to have her support."

Throughout the expedition, Buchegger will share updates with her followers, documenting the physical and mental demands of reaching Africa's highest peak while highlighting the humanitarian stories that inspired her fundraising effort.

MSF currently works in more than 70 countries worldwide, with the generosity of ordinary people making it possible for MSF teams to respond quickly to emergencies and address long-standing crises.

To support Buchegger's Kilimanjaro fundraising challenge, visit the campaign page GivenGain.

-Ends

Jane Rabothata

Communications Specialist, Doctors Without Borders

• jane.rabothata@joburg.msf.org
• 0712873613

About Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a global network of principled medical and other professionals who specialise in medical humanitarian work, driven by our common humanity and guided by medical ethics. We strive to bring emergency medical care to people caught in conflicts, crises, and disasters in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In South Africa, we currently run a non-communicable diseases (NCDs) project in Butterworth, Eastern Cape province, where we support the Department of Health (DoH) in improving care for patients with diabetes and hypertension. The project focuses on improving screening, diagnosis, management, and prevention of NCDs through advocacy, research, health promotion, training, and mentorship of Community Healthcare Workers.

MSF is also recognised as one of the pioneers in providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the public sector. It started the first HIV programme in South Africa in 1999. The organisation's earlier interventions in the country have primarily been on developing new testing and treatment strategies for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) in Eshowe (Kwa-Zulu Natal) and Khayelitsha (Western Cape). The Eshowe project was handed over to DoH in 2023 after 12 years of operations. The Khayelitsha project was closed in 2020 after 22 years of activities and campaigning for improved HIV and TB treatment.

Other projects we have been involved in include our Migrant Project in the country's capital, Tshwane, which was handed over to authorities and a local Community-Based Organisation after building the capacity to work with undocumented populations. We also previously offered free, high-quality, and confidential medical care to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Rustenburg, North West province.

To learn more about our work in South Africa, please visit this page on our website (www.msf.org.za). To support MSF’s work: