Kathmandu, March 25
Jordanian-Palestinian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh and Italian filmmaker and adventurer Leonardo Avezzano have returned from Mount Everest after successfully carrying the Kite of Dreams to the highest point on Earth.
Made from a Palestinian flag and carrying the handwritten dreams and messages of children from Gaza, the kite reached the summit of Everest on May 21 at 10:48 am. The climb was part of Rising Dreams, a global awareness and fundraising campaign using the symbolic ascent of Everest to amplify the voices, dreams, and survival of children in Gaza amidst ongoing war, blockade, starvation, and displacement.
Through the campaign, the expedition team is raising support for children in Gaza through the Al Khair Foundation. There are currently more than 1.1 million children in Gaza living under starvation and blockade. Thousands have lost limbs, while hundreds of thousands continue to endure severe psychological trauma, displacement, and the destruction of their homes, schools, and communities. Mostafa Salameh, a Palestinian refugee, humanitarian, and Grand Slam mountaineer, carried these messages to the summit as an act of solidarity, resistance, and hope, a declaration that even from rubble and devastation, dreams continue to survive.
Italian filmmaker and adventurer Leonardo Avezzano documented the journey from Gaza’s streets to Everest’s summit, capturing the emotional and political significance of the mission and the stories behind the children whose voices travelled to the top of the world.
The expedition also acknowledges the Sherpa team, whose experience, resilience, and deep knowledge of Everest made the expedition possible. Their skill, guidance, and labour remain fundamental to every Everest ascent.
Just days after successfully summiting Everest, the Rising Dreams Expedition Team participated in a public talk in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Monday. The event was joined live on Zoom by children in Gaza.
Organised by a group of Nepali arts and culture organisations, the event was held in person in Nepal and livestreamed globally via Zoom. Children from Gaza also joined the event live, making it a shared moment of reflection, solidarity, and celebration following the historic summit push.
