Reckitt Benckiser’s second ever global employee trek for Save the Children proved to be more challenging than anyone anticipated this year. A handful of staff were hit by the cyclone in West Bengal, while others suffered the effects of altitude sickness.
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Despite all the challenges, the trekkers still managed to raise almost £250,000 for the charity.
A group of employees for Reckitt Benckiser, Save the Children’s biggest global corporate supporter, visited our projects in West Bengal before their trek was trapped by the devastating Cyclone Aila.
“We narrowly escaped being stuck inside the building as the wind almost blew it over on our heads”, said Andraea Dawson-Shephard from Reckitt Benckiser.
“Being there, seeing the devastation, and really getting to know the children who then saw their security falling down before them, it was hard not to want to immediately put your hand in your pocket to help”.
The visit spurred on the walkers during their challenging trek up into the Ladakh region of the Himalayas of Northern India. After a training session in the Brecon Beacons and personal preparation for the challenge, 62 staff took to the Himalayas, accompanied by 140 horses, professional trekkers from Classic Tours travel company and two of our staff. Aiming to push their fundraising efforts the Reckitt Benkiser employees trekked to altitudes of over 4,900 metres through some of the world’s most demanding terrain. 18 suffered the effects of altitude sickness due to the dizzying heights of the trip and had to return to smaller treks at lower points, with a remarkable 42 staff finishing the whole challenge.
The trek — part of the company’s long standing partnership with Save the Children — raised almost £250,000, far surpassing its target of £160,000.
Reckitt Benckiser topped up their sponsorship with a further donation of £30,000 to help Save the Children’s emergency response to the cyclone the trekkers witnessed.
Caroline Underwood, Save the Children's Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships, said: "The determination of these trekkers who battled on to raise funds to save children's lives is an example to us all. Reckitt Benckiser is a long-standing and dedicated partner of Save the Children and the speed with which they have moved to help children and communities repair the damage caused by the cyclone just shows how committed Reckitt Benckiser staff are to achieving results."
Aparna Stachowiak from Reckitt Benckiser has just returned home having completed the trek. “It’s indescribable to explain how you feel when you know you’ve really pushed yourselves to the limit and all for charity. It costs £10 to fully vaccinate a child against a deadly disease, and no one can say we didn’t do all in our power to help! We come over one of the highest passes in the world. We faced the cyclone, we overcame altitude sickness, we had dry skin, trouble breathing, and were exhausted. It was hard core, but the cause of saving children’s lives deserves nothing less”.
All the trekkers were spurred on by the knowledge that the money raised was to be spent on two vital projects: 50% will be going to a new project to improve education for poor children living in Leh - one of the most remote parts of India. The other 50% will go to saving the lives of children under the age of five in Angola and Tanzania.
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