Following on from the Women on a Mission 200km trek through the hottest desert on earth, the Lut Desert in Iran, in November 2016, I am joining these amazing women again but this time to conquer the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia which is one of the lowest places in earth.   It is at a triple junction of three tectonic plates and developed as part of African and Arabian plates pulling apart.  The area is the hottest place on earth in terms of year round average temperatures and has the strangest other-worldly looking landscape of hot springs comprising of yellow sulphuric acid straight from the 'bowels of the volcanoes' (gulp) (Wikipedia).   We will be avoiding dipping in those hot springs.  The trip will be extremely challenging taken over 8 days and with 7 nights camping (no glamping again for us - no showers or toilets).  There are also two active volcanoes in the region. 

We're doing this because we want challenge and adventure and while doing so we want to raise money for other women and girls who are less fortunate than ourselves.  This is a completely self-funded trip.  All money raised goes straight to our nominated charity Women for Women International.  I took my daughter, Kirsty, to Rwanda this July 2017 to see firsthand the work done by WfWI and I can tell you that the support is absolutely life-changing for these women, who are picked because they are the poorest of the poor in their communities.  Rwanda still bears the terrible scars of the genocide that took place there just over 20 years ago.  See http://www.womenforwomen.org/ and sponsor a sister today (as well as supporting me :)).  See the recent brilliant video which includes Dame Helen Mirren and Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMkbTnaJoNk

See our Women on a Mission website for the amazing work and the incredible amount of money raised so far: USD 800,000 : https://www.womenmission.com/

The founders of Women on a Mission continue to inspire and are Valerie Boffy and Christine Amour-Levar (see also www.facebook.com/WOAMSingapore).  Valerie Boffy, while being a Mum at the same school my kids are at, has climbed Everest (yes, really), adopted a child and set up a charity, in the time that I've been worrying about my kids' packed lunches.  Christine Amour-Levar is equally impressive.  She is a recent awardee of the Filipina Women's Network's Leadership Summit  and features in the book, The Balance Project, about inspirational women.

The book, that I recommend everyone should read is: Half the Sky - How to Change the World by Nicholas D Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, sent to me by Kim Short and Michele Frank (thank you).  There are millions of women and girls living in dire circumstances, in conflict zones (where it is more dangerous to be a women than a soldier), in terrible poverty, and in areas with no medical care resulting in high maternal morbidity rates and awful untreated fissures.

Please support me by supporting Women for Women International who do incredible work for women in conflict zones.   See these two short clips (but there are many more about what they achieve):

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeMkMlXk3NM

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikH7pKFmkyE&list=PLEA186B27C3CECF1C&index=9

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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