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Notes from Ethiopia
It’s now a handful of weeks since I returned from Ethiopia and I’m finally settling back in to life in London. I had an incredible time in Africa and came away with a life-changing experience. The things I saw, the places I went to, the people I met - I will carry these with me always.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being so generous with their sponsorship. I managed to hit my fundraising target and even smash it by a few hundred pounds, which is just amazing.
The money you’ve donated couldn’t be going to a better place. I spent a lot of time at the maternity clinic in Gimbie - doing ward rounds with the doctors, meeting patients and medical staff. The women who have and will continue to benefit from your donations are those in most desperate need.
By supporting Maternity Worldwide, you have helped the hospital provide better access to obstetric care to countless women. You have helped the charity provide essential staff training and medical equipment. You have also supported the charity’s outreach programmes, which provide community health education and income generation projects to women in the area. Not only did your donations save lives, but they also helped empower women in the community.
For those of you who are curious about the cycling, I can tell you this was hands-down the toughest physical challenge I have ever faced. It was much harder than I expected - the heat, the hills, the altitude were all overwhelming.
Ultimately though, this was one of the most satisfying things I have ever done. I’m very proud of climbing each of those hills and for making it all that way on rubble roads under the glare of the African sun. Seeing the country from a bike gave me ample time to take it all in. We were constantly meeting people along the way and seeing aspects of everyday life that you would simply miss if you travelled any other way.
Cycling is definitely the way to go!
To see more photos from Ethiopia, I’ve posted a complete set of pics on my Flickr account here.
