From 24th October to 30th October 2022 (which seems incredibly close), I will be participating in a demanding trek in the Himalayas over steep, exposed terrain.  

I expect that this will be an amazing experience, but it won't be a walk in the park.  I was originally going to do this trip in 2020, when I was considerably lighter and fitter!  

The trek is at high altitude (up to 2,800m), accommodation will be basic, and I will be walking for up to 8 hours a day.  Apparently there are plenty of steps on the route so working in a 35 story building could come in handy for training!

WaterAid believe that clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene should be a normal part of everyone’s daily life. 

During the pandemic they joined forces with other charities, the UN, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as part of the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC): a taskforce dedicated to reducing the spread of COVID-19 through improved hygiene, funded by UK Aid and supported by Unilever.

Over the course of the pandemic, they been working with governments to expand existing hygiene programmes, running public awareness and behaviour change programmes, and building contactless handwashing hubs in health centres and busy public places.

With clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, children are born healthier. They get the chance to go to school and grow up to become adults. Women and men get to earn a living.  Whole communities start to thrive. It sounds normal and it should be.   In Nepal more than 1 in 4 people don't have access to a decent toilet and over 425 children under 5 die each year from diarrhoea.

Please give generously.