ThePADDLER 90
The children were so happy , though a little overwhelmed by everything we , as a group , had taken out for them . We taught music , oral hygiene , and arts and crafts and painted the school to brighten it up for them and help preserve the structure from the immense heat .
What were your other highlights from the trip ? How long have you got ? Seriously , I ’ ve not been able to process it all yet . It was an incredible trip , and I ’ m grateful to have been a part . So , here are some of them ; sleeping on deck in the boat . I learned so much about the incredible Neem Farm we stayed on . I planted a tree in my mum and dad ’ s memory . They made me who I am ; if it wasn ’ t for who they were , I might not have signed up for this adventure . Spending time bonding ( which wasn ’ t always easy ) with the others on the trip – witnessing extreme poverty and wealth in such close proximity ( not in miles but in the people ). Beautiful people , all of them .
Did you paddleboard while you were there ? YES ! Wow . I was sitting on the deck looking at the moon at 05:45 and Jordan asked me if I wanted to go out on his board . How could I not make myself go out on Jordan Wylie ’ s board ?
Well , for starters , I have a phobia of the sides of ships / boats , and then there was the fact it was dark ! So , I put my big girl ’ s pants on and pulled on my t-shirt . I have a memory of a young man called Jack Bannister , who tragically died at age 15 . I wear that shirt when I ’ m scared , knowing he ’ d tell me to ‘ just do it .’
I shuffled down the boat ’ s steps in the dark , shaking , almost crying – and I got onto the board .
That was it . I was on the sea , in Djibouti , on Mr Wylie ’ s board at 05:50 because Jordan said he could get some lovely photos of me padding in the moon ’ s reflection . If I timed it right , the sun would rise over the mountains as I came to the other side of the boat , making another great photo shoot . It was just fantastic .
I paddled to a tiny beach where I collected a couple of shells before paddling back as the sun rose , incredible !
What would you say to others sitting on the fence about a BIG adventure ? Just GO , as you too , could experience something like this ! Whale Sharks ; snorkelling ; scuba diving ; sand buggies ; the Neem Farm ; the school and local community ; camels ; nomads ; lifelong friends to make , and so much to see and learn .
So , Jordan may have stepped off his board for a little while , but he ’ s been extremely busy after The Great British Paddle with his promise to build a school in Djibouti – I ’ d like to thank Jordan for his friendship and support of SUPjunkie personally and always being there for a chat or interview and also Dawn for agreeing to be a part of this story – the memory of drinking in Wetherspoons with them both and watching this great adventure unfold for Dawn will always be an inspirational one for me .
Jordan has been recognised by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office ( FCDO ) for his outstanding contribution to charity and children ’ s education on the Horn of Africa , and was awarded an MBE in the New Year ’ s Honours .