Dear friends and folks,

This is a brief note to share that I have successfully and safely completed my long awaited trek. Our group raised over a total of £60k for ChildLine, UK’s 24 hour helpline for children.

I feel privileged to have not only taken part in such a gruelling, hard and yet exciting challenge but at the same time in knowing that as a team we have made a real difference to the children who telephones ChildLine.

On average we walked for 10-11hours each day in enduring and extreme weather conditions, sometimes hailstorms and very heavy rain and then the sun beaming strong on us to test our strength! There were some very tough moments on the trek as we went through some dangerous and very steep mountain slopes but we pulled together with each other’s strengths to ensure that we all make it safely to our goals.

During the first two days we trekked in the mountain villages where we got a taster of  Lesotho culture and met the beautiful, happy, free spirited locals. I think we became the walking entertainment as the first villager would announce an arrival as they saw ‘these’ strange people…. perhaps something for them to talk about after we were long gone!

We visited schools where children very enthusiastically welcomed us with songs. We donated learning materials and helped them towards the costs of repairing the broken windows in their school.

Then there is a memory of tall, majestic never ending mountains - painful yet most picturesque… sheer tranquillity with the whispers of the water fall… For two consecutive days, we climbed up 2900 meters and 3100meters and I can sincerely say that God himself must have carried me, because in my conscious memory, I cannot believe I was capable of this! An experience of a life kind…being lifted by god himself, can you imagine?!

What also kept me going was not loosing sight of the difference I was making to each child with my every step that I was taking and to keep going until I got to the top! In total we walked approximately 100 kilometres and the longest distance in a day was about 23kilometers. 

Our evenings by the campfire and the emotive drumming brings a warm memory of home coming because by this time even the tiny tent provided a good base for a well needed rest and any lack of washing facilities and long drop toilets became trivial!

We also took an opportunity to visit an orphanage of children aged 4-7years born with HIV.  I feel very lucky to have been able to meet these children and be part of their lives, even if it was just for the day.

After the hard work on the trek, we arrived at a national park in South Africa, finally the luxury of a hot shower and the opportunity to go on the safari. 

What a challenge, what an experience and what an achievement….something I will never forget….. On behalf of ChildLine and me, thank you - Lets continue making a difference to ourselves and to our world.

Warm Wishes

Daksha