"The Kurds have no friends but the mountains" – Kurdish Proverb
This summer I shall become extremely well-acquainted with some mountains. I aim to hike across the entire Pyrenees (the mountain range which separates from ), from the Atlantic Ocean to the . The route is 900km in length, with 49,000m of ascent and descent – the equivalent of climbing over 5 times!
With the possibility of summer snow, daily thunderstorms, vipers and bears, I have decided that the only safe and sensible option is to camp. It appears that ‘wild camping’ is completely legal in and and besides, who needs a shower when you can swim in a glacial lake? If all goes according to plan, I am hoping to complete the trek within 6 weeks. My boyfriend Tim will be joining me for the first 2 weeks so I just want to say a massive thanks to him for all his support.
My goal is to raise vital funds for the Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP), a London-based charity which I have been volunteering for. It works to give a voice to those living in the Kurdish regions of , , and , Kurds and non-Kurds alike. The over 30 million Kurds indigenous to this mountainous region, represent the largest ethnic group without a state in the world, and the fourth largest ethnic group in the . An underlying discrimination remains at the root of the problems that many in the Kurdish regions face.
The situation is more acute for women who, subjected to daily aggression and prejudice, are most vulnerable to poverty. Facing the double-bind of ethnic and sexual discrimination, they suffer from harassment and violence not only outside of the home – for example, in their dealings with the security services – but often also from others within their own families. Women are often discouraged from filing complaints against perpetrators of domestic violence and other offences because of a lack of awareness of their rights. Even when women do file complaints with the authorities, officials routinely refuse to take their case seriously and fail to implement the protective measures that are theoretically available to them. Further obstacles include language barriers, severe failings in the provision of legal aid and serious shortcomings in medical examinations of alleged victims of abuse.
Through a combination of advocacy, training, research and public awareness, KHRP works to give these women a way to understand and access their rights. Your donation and support is extremely important to help us to continue to empower these women and give them a better chance at equality.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
