BY G. MADARAKA NYERERE
From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro more than ten times, I have learnt valuable lessons about perseverance, determination and risk. I have also observed that more men than women attempt to reach Africa’s highest peak. Furthermore, conversations with guides suggest that women may have a higher summit success rate. This suggests that some men take risks without adequate preparation. It is like jumping into the deep end of a swimming pool before learning how to swim.
Years ago, while managing a microfinance fund, I discovered that women had better loan repayment records than men. Both climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and borrowing money involve risks. On the mountain, exhaustion or an unforeseen health complication can prove fatal; with a loan, failure to repay can land you in court. In both cases, assessing one’s capacity before committing is essential.
Perhaps the difference lies partly in how individuals assess risks and prepare for their consequences. Men may sometimes assume they can overcome almost any challenge, while women may be more inclined to consider what could go wrong. These are observations, not definitive conclusions about either sex.
The difference between men and women in their approach to risk sometimes appears to be a difference between confidence grounded in preparation and confidence bordering on recklessness. Some men assume that sheer strength will overcome any challenge. On Kilimanjaro, they underestimate altitude, exhaustion and the need for sustained training. In my observation, women attempting Uhuru Peak tend to prepare more thoroughly and show greater respect for the demands of mountaineering.
A successful ascent requires sound judgement, discipline and mental fortitude, not merely bravery. My observations do not constitute definitive proof, but they draw on personal experience and conversations with seasoned mountain guides.
Caution is an important human trait, but it should not be equated with femininity. Some men act boldly and consider the consequences only when it is too late. Such recklessness can shift the costs of poor judgement onto families, colleagues, lenders or even entire countries.
Yet excessive caution can stifle discovery, innovation and progress. The ideal is neither the supposedly brave man nor the supposedly cautious woman, but an individual who understands and foresees risks, assesses their implications and avoids acting without adequate preparation.
Mount Kilimanjaro does not reward muscle power alone; it demands physical preparation, sound judgement, endurance and sometimes the wisdom to turn back. The same principle applies to borrowing, leadership, entrepreneurship and decisions affecting others.
Perhaps we confuse recklessness with calculated boldness. When leaders encourage young people to be daring in entrepreneurship, do they distinguish between the two? Do young people understand the difference?
Are we teaching young people to assess and manage risks wisely or merely encouraging men to appear fearless while rewarding women for avoiding failure?
madaraka.nyerere@gmail.com
