Dig Deep is a charity that works with rural communities in Kenya in order to improve access to water and sanitation, two fundamental requirements in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty. They work with local people, providing disease prevention education and helping to build taps and toilets. Dig Deep’s work is focused predominantly in Kenya, as 16.5 million Kenyan people are not able to access safe water and over 30 million Kenyans not being able to access adequate sanitation.
This year, Dig Deep has teamed up with LUSU Gives as they want Lancaster students to join them for a year of fundraising for the charity, and subsequently celebrate your efforts by trekking Mount Kilimanjaro.
The trek is six days long, encompasses 5 ecological zones including rainforests and glaciers. It begins in the South-West area of the mountain at Machame Gate. The descent is down Mweka, on the South-East side of the mountain. Because of the ascent in the West and descent down the North, Machame offers great vistas of Kilimanjaro. Additionally, Machame visits places such as Shira Plateau, Barranco Wall, and Lava Tower, an iconic structure made when Kilimanjaro last erupted.
Past students have expressed their love for the experience, Charlotte Brookes from Birmingham said that trekking Mount Kilimanjaro with Dig Deep was “the best yet toughest 2 & 1/2 weeks of my life. [I] met the most incredible people and reached the peak of Kili in 6 days. Smashed it! I will never forget this experience.”
Similarly, Alasdair Rigby, also from Birmingham, said that the trek was “an incredible 2 and a half weeks with the best group of people I could have asked for! Thanks to everyone who has supported Dig Deep and myself in this challenge! Your money will make a huge difference out in East Africa!!”
Sarah Caroll, the Student Fundraising Coordinator for the charity, said that:
”Mount Kilimanjaro is famously nick-named the roof of Africa. At 5,895m it takes incredible will power, team work and mental strength to reach the summit. Each year at Dig Deep, we see around 300 student fundraisers reach the highest point in Africa, all in the name of providing clean water to communities in Kenya.
Dig Deep don’t use any UK travel company to organise our climbs for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it means we can give more money to our projects whilst offering the best fundraising target. Secondly, it means we can ensure that the porters on Kilimanjaro are being treated to the correct standards. There is an unfortunate history of exploitation of the porters on the mountain. These are the guys that carry your bags, tents, filter your water, bring you hot tea in the morning and they’re going to do everything they can to make sure you get to the top of that mountain!
But not all of them will be getting a fair wage, sleeping in safe conditions or wearing the right shoes. Something that Dig Deep are one hundred percent committed to is making sure that these porters are looked after. We work with an incredible organisation called KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project) which is run by an inspiring team of people. They issue responsible tourism titles to companies and we are very proud to say we are the only UK charity who are KPAP approved.”
If you would like to get involved with Dig Deep fundraising and Mount Kilimanjaro trekking, you can contact LUSU Gives on lusugives@gmail.com or contact Sarah Carroll on sarah@digdeep.org.uk / 07775037839 for more information.
