Raised: 68%
Target: £1,500.00
Raised so far: £1,025.00
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My story

 

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Charity Bolivia and Children's Horizon - UK Charities working in South America

Charity Bolivia supports a family-run orphanage in Bolivia.The main priority at present is to raise money for Dario (a 1 year old abandoned child) to have an ear operation which will reverse his deafness and allow him to develop normally. www.charity-bolivia.org

Children's Horizon provides resources to primary and secondary schools in Peru, working closely with the local Peruvian education charity Fe y Alegria; one of their schools is located in the zone of the recent earthquake. www.feyalegria.org/default.asp?caso=11&idrev=43&idsec=323&idart=570

Thank you very much for supporting these causes. James Mill, Caroline Driver

---------------- End of the Trek ------------------

Dear all,

Well, all good things must come to an end....after 560 miles of blister footing across the beautiful Spanish countryside, up hill and over mountain, Louise, Nick, Caroline and I finally made it to the Lands End of Spain...and guess what? It doesn´t have some twinky dodgy pirate theme park like the Cornish one. Just a simple lighthouse and endless glimmering ocean - one of the most welcome sights along the whole Camino de Santiago.

We had excellent company along the way, met some incredible people as well as some old friends - everyone with a story to tell, some very touching and others just plain daft.

Amazingly, the weather held out for us for 5 long weeks, except for the freezing fog over the French Pyrenees on the very first day and a couple of Mordor-like swirling rain storms. Nearly every day, the brilliant sunshine poured into the hostels we stayed in - even in Galicia, where it rains about 300 days a year and the locals have more umbrellas per capita than castanets.

Sharing a bunk room with 50 other snorners, bag rustlers and 5am risers was definitely getting to me, so reaching Santiago, the city hewn of dark granite, was a real milestone and welcome.

After Santiago, there was only 90km to walk to the sea..this section was quieter than any other part of the trail. In medieval days, the road to Fisterra (or Land´s End) was a journey to the edge of the then known world.

We had a sun down picnic, watched the sun melt gloriously into the sea as it spread 4-5 shafts of radiant light across the sky and then caught our first transport in 5 weeks to head back to the town for the night...

---------------- PERU ------------------

After the walk, we barely had time to catch our breath and pack ready for Peru.

After 4 days in smoggy Lima, we visited the Fe y Alegria school in Nuevo Chimbote, a mostly poor new development on the edge of Chimbote, in the north of the country. The city Chimbote relies mostly on fishing but due to reduced fish stocks and new fishing restrictions, the fishermen and related industries do not have enough work. As a result of the economic situation there, there are many social problems.

We met a volunteer at Fe y Alegria School no. 14 (Nuevo Chimbote), Ben, as well the teachers who kindly showed us around the school. All were extremely welcoming and warmhearted. Ben, the volunteer, taught English and Sports, and was part of an outreach group from the school that went up into the shanty town nearby to help show parents and children that they could attend the local school.

The money raised from the Spain walk was given to the school Director, Sister Lila, and she said that they would use it to build up the resources for the practical vocational workshops in the school - Carpentry, Electrics and Sewing (see photo).

Once again, a very big thank you to all of those who have already given towards this school and towards much needed practical resources as well as for Charity Bolivia.

Any further monies raised will go DIRECTLY to these two causes.

James

Seasons greetings!! Donation by alex driver 26/12/07  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Donation by Jonathan bloor 20/12/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Is this ok Donation by Declan 19/12/07  

£60.00

Well done guys, look forward to the hearing about your exploits when you are back!. Donation by Zo 16/12/07  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

Well done. sorry its taken us so long to sponsor you! Donation by Sarah, Doug and Daniel 15/12/07  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

great work...thanks Donation by katecarne 28/11/07  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

I read the page as 500 miles pain trip. Hope it wasn't too much like that. Nice going guys, la luego Donation by Mark Arcedeckne-Butler 23/11/07  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Good luck! Sounds like an incredible journey for a great cause! Donation by Uncle Ernie (Dan) 21/10/07  

£10.00

Way to go! Donation by Isy 19/10/07  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Well done guys!! very brave! good luck with your project! Donation by Marisa 17/10/07  

£40.00

I hope, guys, life is treating you well. Good luck with everything! Donation by mercedes 16/10/07  

£70.00

Tio! Ostias! Pero joder tio! Well done. See you soon. Donation by Gui 30/09/07  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

good luck with the walk! Love, Chrystelle Donation by Chrystelle 27/09/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Hola amigos! Hope the camino is going well. Keep up the good work and the walking. xx Donation by Jess Cubes 27/09/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Keep it up, great to read about it all. Donation by Shelagh Windsor-Richards 25/09/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Well done, it sounds amazing and for a great cause! Donation by Laura Maltman 25/09/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

If only there were more like you...You really do make this a better world to live in, Keep it Going! Donation by Martyn G 24/09/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Hey Kids. Bloody good on you all; we're as envious as we are impressed... Have a blast. Donation by Matt & Kristen 22/09/07  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Donation by Anita 22/09/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

I hope it's all going well - and have fun in South America! Donation by Helen Nicholson 17/09/07  

£10.00

From your old neighbours at crescent rd -Saw you in paper!.Good work! Donation by Julia Ford 12/09/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

There must be a mistake...It says 500 miles!!!!! Enjoy!!! Donation by Julie Thibaud 05/09/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

you are barking mad but its been fun working with you. Take care see you around Donation by steve homer 04/09/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Sounds great - Have fantastic time!x Donation by Elaine and Simon 04/09/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Donation by Neil 03/09/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

have a graet time along the way...lots of luck! Donation by Sarah B 01/09/07  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

hey, Best of Luck! Donation by Lucy Hoffen 01/09/07  

£20.00

Are you ready boots? Start walkin'! Donation by Kate Eddy 31/08/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck with your blister management Donation by Rod 31/08/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Walk on, waaaalk on with hope in your hearts Donation by Vince 31/08/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
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* Total raised online: £1,025.00
  Offline donations: £0.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £227.05

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