Hard Earned Adventure

2nd May 2018

Carina Griffin is one of 29 young adventurers from Girton Grammar School, currently fundraising for a four-week trip to India where the group will undertake projects to support local communities.

Carina and her peers will travel to India as part of a World Challenge expedition, leaving on the 23rd of June.  The students are expected to raise their own funds to support their trip and will be responsible for planning their own itinerary, arranging their accommodation and managing a group budget.

Carina, aged 14, is the youngest member of her group and expects that the trip will be life changing.

“Coming from a small town, Castlemaine, I am looking forward to branching out from what I already know. I cannot wait to interact with people from another culture and to share my own culture.

“For me, this trip will be about strengthening my own skills and helping others. Although I am young, I know that experiences change people and I want to take every opportunity to shape that future in a way that is positive and productive.

“India is a place I have always wanted to visit, from the bustling cities, to the unique and diverse wildlife, to the striking isolation of its beautiful mountains and diverse religions, it seems like a place completely saturated with culture and beauty,” Carina said.

The Girton Grammar World Challenge students will depart for India on 23rd June 2018. Carina’s group will be tackling the Rantham Pass in the Himalayas, a challenging nine day hike. They will then undertake essential building projects as identified by an organisation for girls’ education in Rajasthan, which the group will support during their visit.

“One of my close friends, Sophia Ginis, is also in my expedition group and we’re both especially looking forward to our community project, she’s also been fundraising really hard!”

The students have already attended a training weekend that included hiking, camping and team building activities and team fundraisers are being planned to further support community based work in India. In the Easter Holidays, Carina walked and unicycled parts of the Goldfields Track to raise money for her group’s Community Project in Rajasthan. The money raised will go directly to the school they are working at in India. Her donation page is:  https://www.gofundme.com/goldfields-track-world-challenge

“I think every part of our expedition will a great experience, but I am particularly looking forward to directly interacting and working with the locals in our assigned community.

“Our work in local communities with World Challenge will be in accordance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that we have a positive tourist impact and genuinely help people in the countries we are exploring.

“I hope when I return I will have changed for the better and have a new outlook on life, through having been exposed to new experiences. I want to gain perspective and confidence and open my eyes through adventures,” Carina said.

Carina Griffin (9 Aherne) and Sophia Ginis (9 Riley) are working hard to raise money for the school that they will visit when they take part in this year’s World Challenge in India.