After scaling Mt Everest Malavath Poorna has now conquered Mt Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain peak, along with 16-year-old Sri Vidya of Telangana State Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society’s Aleir school. As a mark of gratitude, the duo planted a photo of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on the peak.
The girls began their trek on July, 24 and reached the peak (5642mt) on July 27 at 7:30 am Moscow time.
“I am determined to scale the seven highest mountain peaks in the seven continents of the world. So far, I conquered three highest mountain peaks in the three continents of the world, Mt. Everest in Asia, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and now Mt Elbrus in Europe,” said a confident Poorna after successfully conquering Mt Elbrus in Russia. An intermediate student at TSWRDC Ibrahimpatnam, Poorna hails from a tribal hamlet in Nizamabad district.
Daughter of daily wage labourers from Nalgonda, Vidya expressed her gratitude to the government for setting up the residential schools that have allowed girls like Poorna and her to escape the vicious cycle of gender discrimination and poverty.
“I cannot even describe how difficult the climb was, but I resolved on achieving the impossible against all odds,” said Vidya.
Thanking the chief minister for liberating the young girls from the most disadvantaged sections of the society, Vidya lauded that 53 welfare residential degree colleges for boys and girls have been sanctioned in the state. “The Chief Minister gave wings to our dreams and supporting us in a big way to explore new horizons. If not for the residential degree colleges for women, hundreds of us would have been married off by now,” she said.
Dr RS Praveen Kumar, secretary of TSWREIS expressed happiness over the achievements of the young mountaineers. “Our children may be poor, but they don't lag in in energy, enthusiasm and determination,” he said.