British Muslim Women climb Mount Everest Basecamp and raise over £230,000 for charity

A number of British Muslim women took part in one of the toughest challenges of their lives.

The group of 18, from all walks of life, climbed Mount Everest’s Base Camp to raise money for international humanitarian charity, Penny Appeal.

The full team included 34 brave volunteers, who took part in the 12 day trek, climbing 18,000ft to raise money to help the Rohingya refugees who continue their struggle for survival within the cramped Bangladeshi refugee camps.

They returned to the UK on December 27th.

Marzana Rahman is an abuse survivor and Domestic Violence and Women’s Rights activist. Marzana says, “I decided to climb Mount Everest to help Rohingya women who have suffered so much, to help provide them with the basic necessities, as well as to create women friendly spaces, where they will be supported emotionally. Every time I come across a women’s rights organisation, I see the world changing for the better. But as powerful as these movements are, my heart breaks a little because I am faced with the harsh realities that my sisters are facing.”

Following months of preparation, hikes, gym workouts, and studying, efforts turned towards fundraising. Over a quarter of a million pounds was reached in their commitment to helping the Rohingya refugees.

Haroon Mota, team leader and Penny Appeal’s Head of Challenges says, “We did it, Everest is the highest mountain in the world and the trek to base camp was a massive challenge. It wasn’t as easy as we thought, apart from beautiful views, there was very bad whether along the way. At one point we were trekking in –25 degrees, along with heavy snow, which hampered our journey.

Several people became unwell but we stuck together as a team and managed to plough on until we reached Base Camp on the 8tday of the trek. Knowing that we had achieved this physical challenge was really satisfying, but knowing that we had raised over £230,000 to help the Rohingya people who have been through so much was even better. In fact, we felt very emotional knowing that our challenge was nowhere near the challenges that face the people of Rohingya daily”.

Donations can still be made at here.

Penny Appeal was launched in 2009 and now works in over 30 crisis-hit countries worldwide. An international humanitarian charity, we work to alleviate poverty by offering water solutions, supporting orphan and elderly care, restoring sight to those with avoidable blindness, providing food, delivering emergency aid, and opening schools, orphanages and mosques.

Penny Appeal’s way of doing charity is simple, and has a massive impact. We make charitable giving affordable and rewardable, so your small change can make a big difference.