Realtors embarking on World Vision’s Hike for Hope

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Harcourts realtors embarking on World Vision’s Hike for Hope

16 March 2010: Two Christchurch-based Harcourts realtors are amongst a group of adventure-loving Kiwis embarking this week on the trip of a lifetime through India and Nepal as part of World Vision’s Charity Challenge ‘Hike for Hope’.

Harcourts Four Seasons franchise co-owner Rana Ransley and Harcourts Halswell Sales Consultant Trudy Hudson are part of a 22-strong group who have collectively fundraised almost $50,000 for World Vision ahead of their trip, which will combine a physical challenge with a chance to experience the realities of life that few tourists see and to interact personally with those their fundraising will help.

As Ms Ransley explains, during their 16-day trip the group will trek the Himalayas, visit world heritage sites in Kathmandu, experience the vibrant city of Kolkata and colourful tribal villages in India’s Jarkhand state.

“We will also have a life-changing experience meeting children, families and communities in World Vision’s long-term development programme in Dumaria, India, which the money we have raised is going towards.”

According to World Vision the resilient people of Dumaria face many challenges such as chronic food shortages because of poor soil and seed quality, inadequate irrigation and a lack of credit. Many villagers have had to move to the cities in search of work and children have limited access to schooling, giving them little hope for the future.

Funds raised by the Hike for Hope participants will be used in Dumaria to improve educational facilities and provide school materials and equipment including textbooks, sports equipment, clean water and bicycles for many of the children the trampers will be meeting.

Mrs Hudson says she and Ms Ransley have been training and fundraising hard and are excited about their trip of a lifetime.

“We’ve been doing a lot of hiking to get fit for the Himalayan trek and we’ve been busy fundraising too, so it’ll be great to see all that hard work pay off and particularly rewarding to get to see for ourselves how the money we’ve raised for World Vision will help.”

Hike for Hope is the third Charity Challenge trip hosted by World Vision and Intrepid/Raw Travel. Other trips have included cycling through Cambodia and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Charity Challenge co-ordinator, Anita Haylock, says the trips are aimed at Kiwis who want an adventure with a twist.

“Charity Challenges provide a life-changing adventure that is not only rewarding for your body, but also your heart.”

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