ThePADDLER 86 and its incredible deserts primed for adventure . I also wanted them to challenge themselves , overcome their fears , and step out of their comfort zones , which they all certainly did in abundance . Ultimately , this trip was about visiting the school we built , volunteering , helping inspire the students , and positively impacting all the communities we encountered in the Horn of Africa .
Can you describe it to those who have never been to this part of the world ? Djibouti is a magical place like nowhere else on earth ; not many people in the UK could point it out on a map or tell you where it is , making it even more special . The landscape of Djibouti is varied and extreme , ranging from rugged mountains in the north to a series of low desert plains separated by parallel plateaus in the west and south . Djibouti is very small and strategically located on the northeast coast of the Horn of Africa , and it is situated on the Bab El Mandeb Strait , which lies to the east and separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden . This is also the area that I rowed across in 2019 .
Having now finished the school build , presumably the running costs will continue – is that the reason for the recent trip with paying guests to visit the school ? The school built in Djibouti was a rollercoaster adventure itself to complete . If I am honest , I would never take on a charity project of this size again , it was challenging work , consumed most of my life for several years , and added a lot of stress to family life , but WE DID IT ! The CEO of Frontline Children has now handed over the school to the Djibouti Government Ministry of Education . Although we don ’ t have to raise any more funds , we have pledged to host a fundraising trip each year to visit the school , which will help fund new educational resources , ensure the grounds are well maintained , and allow for continued professional development of the teachers too .
What were your thoughts and ideas for this trip , and what did you want clients to get out of it ? We have just returned from the first trip , which I called the adventure ‘ Terres des Extremes ’, French for Land of Extremes . Djibouti is a former French colony and one of the least visited countries on the planet and one of the hottest . It is home to the lowest place in Africa , home to the Whale Shark , and also home to one of the most saline lakes on earth – it is an extreme environment , and the conditions for children out in the desert are tough . I wanted the expedition team members to get a real flavour of the country
One of the paddlers who joined you on this trip was Dawn Aldred – she was an enthusiastic follower of The Great British Paddle , and we met in Teignmouth – it ’ s quite a funny story , so can you remind us about it ? It was a funny story indeed ! I had never met Dawn before until we were introduced at our good friend Brendon Prince ’ s film premier in Teignmouth . After the film , a few of us went for drinks ( including you !), and Dawn was made aware of the Terres des Extremes ; she told me all the things she was scared of ( including falling in water ), so I joked and suggested she could come Whale Shark diving and snorkelling with me . We were in a local Wetherspoons at this point , and she was , as were we all , a few gin and tonics in , and she told me she was signing up ! I told her I would text her and ask her when she sobered up ! I texted her the next day , and she reminded me she was a woman of her word , tipsy or not ! The rest was history , as they say .
How did Dawn particularly cope with this trip ? Dawn was BRILLIANT ! She was a team player from the outset and overcame many of her fears during this trip . There were moments when Dawn was apprehensive , of course , but with patience and guidance , she smashed through many of her adventure goals on this expedition . Dawn ’ s a great woman with a big heart , and the children of Djibouti loved her positive attitude and enthusiasm ; she has real positive energy and is a hard worker too , never afraid to get her hands dirty and chip in whenever needed . It was a genuine privilege to have Dawn on this trip , and I hope this will be the start of many more epic adventures for her .
WAS THIS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAD LED A TRIP OF THIS KIND ?
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I have led many expeditions , usually for adventurers or military personnel . Our group was very diverse , with different experiences , fitness levels , interests , and objectives they wanted to achieve from the trip . I learned a lot about myself and managing people from the expedition ; the expedition will improve year after year .