“Nations in lockdown, widespread uncertainty, hospitals struggling to cope – we’ve seen with our own eyes how devastating coronavirus can be. But for people living in extreme poverty, the impact will be far worse.”

Over the next two weeks, 7 friends and I will be fundraising for international development and relief charity, Tearfund, so that people in poverty will be better equipped to deal with the effects of the coronavirus. Half of our team will be undertaking Tearfund’s official fundraising challenge – known as “The Climb” – which involves climbing the equivalent height of a mountain on our stairs (individual goals are outlined on the JustGiving page). The other half of us are either injured or live in bungalows (me!) so our ability to climb stairs is somewhat impaired! Instead, we are going to be living on 10 litres of water/day for 5 days. This daily allowance includes all water we will need for drinking, cooking and hygiene purposes. Given the current situation we will, of course, prioritise hand washing and allow ourselves unlimited access to hand sanitiser. Sadly, a fundraising challenge for us is a reality for 785 million people globally who lack access to safe water (https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/global-water-crisis/).

Tearfund is starting to see the impact coronavirus is having on some of the poorest communities. In places with poor healthcare and less infrastructure the potential for devastation is immense. Tearfund’s current work involves the promotion of hygiene practices, provision of food for those in quarantine and the construction of hand washing stations. If you would like to donate to our JustGiving page, or simply learn more, you can find the link below. By sponsoring us you will be helping Tearfund support the most vulnerable where the need is greatest. Any donation at all would be very gratefully received.