Sheffield students face the heights of quarantine for charity

Alice Pearson, from Oughtibridge, has committed to climb 304 ascents of her stairs every day for seven days, to reach the full height of the African mountain. She and her friends are taking on the challenge as part of the Climb challenge set up by Christian charity Tearfund.

When hearing of the imminent devastation of coronavirus in some of the poorest communities across the globe, Alice and her team were eager to make a difference.

Tearfund are very concerned about these communities, where life is already tough and there is little infrastructure to deal with coronavirus outbreaks. In places like Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee camp, cramped conditions and limited handwashing facilities will prove deadly if the virus continues to spread.

The charity is working with their local partners to make a meaningful, sustained response to the pandemic by carrying out targeted hygiene promotion and education, and improving sanitation for the most vulnerable people and their communities.

Alice said: “It is heart-breaking to imagine the difficulties of battling a life-threatening virus in an overcrowded temporary home without basic access to hand washing facilities.

“My friends and I are fortunate to have safe homes to quarantine in, without the worry of contaminated water. Now our A-Levels have been cancelled, we want to use the time that we have to make sure those facing Covid-19, whilst living in poverty, are better prepared.”

Others taking part include Alice’s sister Esther, Beth McDonough from Millhouses, Amelia Harvey from Sothall, and Elizabeth Webb from Fulwood.

They are hoping to raise at least £1, 000, which Tearfund will use to provide over 330 families with sanitizing products for one month to help protect them against the virus.

You can sponsor Alice and her ‘Heights of Quarantine’ team justgiving.com/fundraising/alicestheclimb.

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