Sahara Challenge
17th - 25th October 2009
The Challenge
For those who fancy a few days impersonating Lawrence of Arabia in the name of a good cause, then this is just the ticket for a great charity fund raising idea!
Experience the formidable and inhospitable environment of the Sahara Desert on this eight-day challenge, as you raise funds and get to experience the delights of Marrakech and the day-to-day life of the nomadic Berber people as you trek through the desert. Finally, have the volunteer opportunity to help improve education facilities in a small oasis town.
Do something different...
Experience the delights of Marrakech - the sights, sounds and smells which bring to life the historic cultures - African, Arabic and Berber - which make up Morocco. Mosques and Minarets sit cheek-by-jowl with narrow passageways and wide open plazas. Street vendors, musicians and buskers, fire eaters, performers, snake charmers, dancing transvestites, fortune tellers and monkeys are a plenty - all competing for your attention in a breathtaking spectacle of amusements and memory making moments which will live with you forever.
Then, experience the stunning lunaresque landscape of the Sahara desert as you drive and then trek through this inhospitable yet enigmatic environment, sleeping out under the Sahara sky during a two day camel trek, getting to know the life of the nomadic tribes which still wander with their camel trains across the lonely lunaresque dunes.
After your trek, experience two nights in a desert oasis, spending the days refurbishing a community building which will be used by the local children. You will be working alongside the locals, learning about their life in the Sahara.
Finally, return to Marrakech to relax after your hard work, enjoying a second night inside the red-walled city.
The Volunteer Project
The local community of the oasis town of Oulaid Driss has recently established a residents’ committee, with the intention of improving the educational environment in the village. Several local teachers are members of the committee, and they are keen to develop teaching methods and improve the educational infrastructure.
...Make a difference
The committee has recently been given a building which can be used for teaching. However, it needs to be completely renovated and equipped with furniture, after which it will be used to teach young girls who are not currently going to school. Opportunities include getting stuck into the manual refurbishment of the building, sharing teaching skills with the local teachers, and sharing English language skills with the children.
The Itinerary
Day 1
Fly to Marrakech and enjoy the delights of this exotic city.
Day 2
Venture into the heart of this ancient kingdom to the traditional Berber oasis village of Oulaid Driss, your base for the next few days of activities.
Days 3 to 5
Experience an incredible three days of journeying through the Sahara desert in time-honoured fashion - at the pace of your camel! Camp out under the stars and learn about the traditional nomadic ways of your Berber guides.
Day 6 to 7
Returning to Oulaid Driss, spend two busy days on volunteer work helping the local community to refurbish a communal building, creating valuable educational facilities for the children of the village.
Day 8
Return to Marrakech for another chance to enjoy this vibrant and mystical city.
Day 9
Return flight to the UK.
The Cost
£1650 :
£250 participation fee + £1400 minimum sponsorship
To request a booking form (please state which trek you are interested in),
Tel: (028) 9066 6188
E-mail c.tweedie@cedar-foundation.org
Or write to:
The Cedar Foundation
Overseas Treks
31 Ulsterville Avenue
Belfast BT9 7AS
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