El Centro León Welcomes Students for the Screening of the Documentary La Montaña, as Part of the Educational Trip to Pico Duarte

A group of young students enjoyed the screening of the documentary La Montaña, a film that shows the adventure of the first Dominican expedition that ascends to the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal. The event took place on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at the Centro León, as part of the Educational Excursion to Pico Duarte and RDescubre program. This presentation is one of the initiatives that Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and its sister organization in
theDominican Republic, Fundación Global Desarrollo y Democracia (Funglode) offers through this program. The screening wascoordinated with mountaineer Karim Mella, the first Dominican to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and his foundationSiempre Más.

While addressing the young audience, the alpinist said that for him it is an honor and also a responsibility to speak to them."My lectures are an account of my experiences
and through them I feel I can encourage you to strive for your dreams and achieve your goals," he said. Mella also noted that each time he completes a hike to the summit of Pico Duarte, the joy of seeing the participants reaching their goal reaffirms him that what he’s doing is worth it. "The achievement of each of youshows that if you work with effort and dedication, you can reach your own summit," he emphasized.

After the screening
there was a Q&A, where Mella was approached with several questions about his journey to Mount Everest, from how cold is the area to how long the expedition is. Karim Mella left them with an inspiring message noting that "each of us has its own summit to climb. Every long journey begins with a first step and, as Dominicans, we can achieve what we set our minds".

La Montaña presents the contrast between the highest mountain in the world and the low
lands of the Caribbean, as the three climbers surpass the difficult path to reach the top. At the same time, three Dominican youths, sons of a fisherman, start their own challenge in climbing the highest mountain of their island. Two parallel stories that remind us that from the sea to the sky, everyone has a dream and their own mountain to climb.

RDescubre program aims to provide underserved students and communities with the opportunity to take part in educational
expeditions all over the Dominican Republic as a way of seeing and appreciating the country’s beautiful landscapes and the wealth of its natural resources. The program helps connect youth to the environment through positive experiences and, over the long run, encourages and motivates them to become involved in the care and protection of the environment. Through these adventures, participants are inspired to become activists in their own local communities and to work together for a
common cause, while inspiring others through their experiences.

For more information visit www.rdescubre.org