Briyan Musumba: Meet educator climbing mountains to raise money for needy learners

Briyan Musumba, an educator based in Kilifi and Kwale counties, hiking is more than a passion — it’s a mission. Musumba’s unique mountaineering journey began in June 2022 when he summited Mt. Longonot, a significant milestone that would spark a series of climbs aimed at raising awareness for education.

Hiking, for Musumba, offers more than a connection to nature; it serves as a platform to equip primary schools with books and resources to help improve literacy and numeracy skills. “Climbing mountains allows me to connect with nature and find peace,” he says. Yet, his mountaineering efforts go beyond personal fulfillment. It is his dedication to improving learning outcomes for underprivileged learners that drives him to climb.

Since that initial climb, Musumba has conquered ten mountains and hills, including Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro, two of Africa’s tallest peaks. His goal, however, is not just physical conquest but the betterment of educational resources in Kenya’s underserved schools. “My work revolves around innovative teaching—training teachers to integrate technology and play in their classrooms,” Musumba explains. “But on the side, I also double up as a hiker and mountaineer.”

On August 30, 2022, Musumba, along with a team of 26 mountaineers, set out to summit Mt. Kenya. “It wasn’t just about conquering a peak; it was an expedition that revealed an indomitable human spirit. It left us with memories, helped us make new friends, and conquer challenges,” he recalls.

Inspired by this expedition, Musumba took his mission a step further. In September 2022, he and a colleague volunteered at St Augustine Primary School in Mombasa, where they assessed English and Mathematics learning outcomes. To their dismay, they found that the learners were significantly behind in foundational skills.

“We started teaching Grade 3, 4, and 5 pupils. We would arrive early and spend an hour with the learners, using playful techniques to help them improve their literacy and numeracy,” Musumba explains. Recognizing the critical importance of foundational skills, he continued to volunteer for an additional two months, focusing on the most disadvantaged learners. “The change was inspiring,” he notes.

However, it became clear to Musumba that the lack of enough books and materials in public schools was a significant barrier to student progress. By November, after interacting with the learners, Musumba felt compelled to take his efforts even further. He visited the Bangladesh informal settlement in Mombasa, where he encountered a community library supported by the Pwani Youth Network. The library’s impact on the local community inspired Musumba to contribute in his own way.

He reached out to teachers at Mvita Primary School and shared his mission to provide books for their students. “In these schools, five learners share one book. This motivated me to improve their learning experience,” Musumba says. With a clear mission in mind, Musumba began fundraising for books. He set up a website and an M-Changa account, reaching out to friends, family, and strangers to raise money for schools in need.

Musumba’s passion for both hiking and education led him to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro on January 1, 2023. “Summiting Kilimanjaro was about pushing myself to conquer the highest point of our continent. But on summit night, I felt like giving up. I had to sit for 20 minutes to regain my strength, because I couldn’t quit—I wasn’t just hiking for myself but for the children,” Musumba shares.

Through his efforts, Musumba raised Sh60,300 through M-Changa and around $500 (Sh64,500) through PayPal. He used the donations to purchase books from Amazon and Longhorn Publishers. Mvita Primary and St Augustine each received 110 books, and the community library in Bangladesh received 179 books, surpassing his original goal.

Musumba’s next challenge? Climbing Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, in early 2025, once again to raise funds for education. “I’ll be doing this climb to raise funds for children and education once again,” Musumba says with determination. His relentless dedication to both mountaineering and education continues to inspire hope for learners across Kenya.