Hi, my name is Toby. I’m 25, live in Sevenoaks, Kent, and I work as an interactive designer in a small television company in London.
I first heard about Global Challenge when Oxfam sent me an email at work. I’ve received emails from Oxfam before, but this one caught my attention:‘Trek the Inca Trail’ in Peru! Looking out of my window, I compared the dreary office blocks and London smog with the towering mountain peaks and blue skies I could see on my computer screen. Enough said.
Raising the cash
So the ‘global’ part was settled, now it was the ‘challenge’ bit that worried me.My fitness left much to be desired and I knew that raising £2,500 wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
I held two car rallies within my community and also mailed more than 200 businesses in Sevenoaks, asking for raffle prizes. The response was very encouraging. So on 14 May 2004, with all my kit (mainly acquired as Christmas/birthday presents) strapped to my back, I went to the airport to meet the other trekkers.
Highlights
There were so many highlights to this experience, but the most important for me was the group itself. We formed such a strong bond that it was hard to leave them almost two weeks later.
Climbing ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’ (4,200 metres above sea level) on day two stands out as the most physically demanding part of the challenge. But the most rewarding moment had to be getting my first clear view of Machu Picchu on the last day of the Inca Trail. It was a real ‘pinch yourself’ moment – just as if I was looking at a picture postcard. Stunning!
Oxfam projects
On the last day, we visited an Oxfam project in Lima to see first-hand how the money we’d raised is being used in countries like Peru. This part of the trip was incredibly humbling. I saw two projects that train and support local women to be leaders in their communities. In one case, it was simply a set of steps that the community had built themselves which allowed local families to reach their houses safely, without scrambling up a hill of rubble and dirt.
All in all, the Global Challenge was an unforgettable experience and I’m both humbled and proud to be part of something that is making a difference to other peoples lives.
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