The What:

The Mongol Rally 2018 – a 10,000 mile journey across 20 countries starting in London and Finishing in Ulan Ude, Russia (just outside Mongolia as they quite rightly decided they were not keen on of loads of rubbish cars being left on the Steppe...) There are only three rules to this rally: 1) our car must be cheap, rubbish, inappropriate and have an engine no bigger than 1,000cc, 2) we're completely on our own, with no support, and 3) we're raising money for charity.

The Who:

Three humanitarian aid workers, raising money for Oxfam and Cool Earth (the official Charity of the Mongol Rally 2018.

The When:

Departing from London on Friday 13th July (yes, we see the irony...) and hoping to arrive at the finish line sometime towards the end of August.

The How:

In our trusted steed - a 1988 Bedford Bambi (if you don’t know just how unsuitable this is for long distance off road travel, see here: http://www.bedfordrascal.com/bambi.html)

The Name:

'Live to Drive, Drive to Die' - without question, the funniest, stupidest slogan we've seen painted on a minibus taxi on our travels. Not necessarily a life creed we subscribe to... But it makes us chuckle.

The Why:

The most important part…

While going on an adventure is fun, even if you hate your friends by the end of it, there should always be a better reason too. This is why we are fundraising for Oxfam.

As humanitarians who work around the world with various organisations, we have listened to, watched and discussed the scandals that have affected the charity sector over the recent months. What has happened in many places is indefensible, yet, without adequate resources the issue will not be solved, and more importantly – it will be the beneficiaries and communities in which Oxfam work that will be affected, and that is truly unacceptable.

So, we should explain why we’re raising funds for Oxfam…

Oxfam lost 7,000 private donors in the first week of the recent news stories. Multiple government agencies paused or suspended funding, sometimes to on-going programmes, and it is this response that we want to address.

It’s both the reaction and the consequence that are problematic.

The reaction to Oxfam was a kneejerk one, because aid is an easy target.

Reactions should be proportionate. Hold those responsible to account, force change in working environments and practices, resource properly to enable those working to do it to the highest standards; and that only addresses the reaction.

What about the consequence? It will be hard to measure, but there is one thing we can say for sure:

Those thousands of private donations that give invaluable unrestricted funding to the organisation will make it harder to rectify the mistakes of the past, not easier. When government agencies stop projects half way through, there won’t be anyone else to fill the gap and those families affected by conflict, natural disasters and poverty will suffer.

The reaction doesn’t help, it makes it worse, it makes it worse for the staff in country offices around the world, it makes it worse for those communities they are helping, and it makes it worse for those beneficiaries who stop receiving the assistance they need to survive.

As such, we are asking you to stand with us as humanitarians, as people who care about other people, as people who want to alleviate suffering where it exists and support the incredible work that Oxfam continue to do. They have done amazing work all over the world, now is not the time to walk away, now is the time to stand up and be counted, while they make the changes they need to, to be an even better organisation than the one they already are.

So, please give generously! And, to follow our progress, check out our Instagram: livetodrivedrivetodie