Just popping out... to Sierra Leone

Chrissy, from Bessacarr, has signed up to drive a demanding trip through a hostile environment to deliver a car to be used to help kidnapped children in Sierra Leone.

And she admits she has fears over the expedition - ranging from falling victim to bandits to getting caught in floods on the way across Africa.

The 27-year-old secretary of the Rotary Club of Doncaster St Leger put herself forward to take part in the journey across two continents when the regional Rotary Club agreed to sponsor one of the four-wheel dive Mitsubishi L200s.

Chrissy, originally from the Philippines, moved to Doncaster three years ago to work at the Higher Rhythm Recording Studio on Highfield Road.

Her route will take her from Doncaster to Hull, from where she will take a boat to Rotterdam.

From there she will cross Europe via the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain. Then she will cross the Mediterranean, and get back on the road in Morocco, through Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea, before reaching Sierra Leone.

She and the other 23 people making the journey in five vehicles will then drop the cars off in the capital, Freetown, and fly back home.

The journey is expected to take three-and-a-half weeks.

"I've never done anything like this, and I know it will be quite an experience," Chrissy told The Star today.

"I've probably driven about 150 miles at a time in the Philippines, and from Doncaster to Cornwall in my L-reg Mercedes! I think there will be real challenges.

"I'm quite worried about the weather, because there has been flooding in Senegal, and we don't expect the same sort of roads we get in the UK, and because of the nature of the trip there may be bandits.

"But we will be taking guides to take us along the safest routes. One of the people who is coming with us has driven the Plymouth to Banjul Challenge, a drive into Gambia, which is a bit like the Paris to Dakar rally.

"But I just want to provide some help to some people who are in need. It may only be a small contribution, but a lot of small contributions add up to a lot of help."

They are taking the vehicles to help charity workers aid children who were victims of child trafficking during Sierra Leone's civil war. Children as young as eight were taken to fight as rebels, others as child brides. Charity workers are trying to reunite them with their families.

As part of the preparation for the journey, Chrissy was told to get life insurance - but, despite that sounding daunting, she says her boyfriend understands why she wants to go on the journey.

She said: "He understands we have a lot of people on the trip, and we've done all we can to make it safe."