UniRaid is a volunteering trip through the desert of Morocco, only for university students (+ 3500km). It aims to deliver essential goods to families and children with scarce resources, living in isolated villages throughout the desert.
UniRaid is an international volunteering project created only for university students, which goes to the 10th edition and consists in a trip through the desert of Morocco for nine days, with a car more than twenty years old. It aims to deliver solidary goods to isolated populations and villages along the entire route (more than 3500 kilometers). Unfortunately, all types of volunteering, both outside and inside Portugal, require a high financial cost. As mere students, and not obtaining any other income, we need all and any help to be able to attend this trip and, and consequently, contribute to a better world with less inequalities.
But what motivates two university students from Trás-os-Montes (North of Portugal) to embark on this adventure considered impossible?! In order to explain, we let you know that we are students of two completely opposite courses, Forest Engineering and Social Work. In this case, the opposites complement each other and create the fantastic ambition to make the impossible completely possible. This project, in addition to being a personal and professional experience, within the scope of Social Work, is also a major driver in the dissemination and recognition of the Forest Engineering course, consequently providing an improvement in the quality of life of isolated populations and with less resources.
We will need around 3000 € to complete this project (1800 € for registration; 700 € for the purchase and preparation of the car and 500 € for fuel and meals).
The creation of this crowdfunding campaign came from the difficulties we are experiencing in raising funds for this volunteering project, due to the pandemic situation we are experiencing in the world. So, we call on all people to help us make this dream come true.
"With little we do a lot, and with a lot we go far".
Os caminhos do UniRaid...
About the author
We are Catherine and Gonçalo, studying in Trás-os-Montes, and we are determined to leave the world a little better than how we found it.
-I'm Catherine, I study Social Work at the “University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro” (UTAD) and I live in Alfândega da Fé in the district of Bragança. As a future Social Worker, projects such as volunteering and the need to improve people's quality of life made me accept this project with open hands. This trip is not only important for my future profession, due to the curriculum and experience I gain, but it is also very important on a personal level, since by giving happiness to others, I increase my own happiness. In this case, the little I can give is immense for those who have little.
-I am Gonçalo, I come from Leiria and I study Forest Engineering, at UTAD too. I learned about UniRaid in a Scouts activity, from a Caminheiro (Explorer), I was a Pioneiro (Scout) at the time, and he had participated in the previous year's edition. As soon as he finished explaining what it was to me and what the UniRaider spirit consisted of, I knew right away that this was a volunteer trip that I couldn't miss. Giving more to others and the world has always been something that I had in mind in my way of being with everyone and the fear that this atypical year of 2020, in which a pandemic ravaged our world in this drastic way, could make it impossible to carry out our volunteer project, is growing.
- "The best way to be happy is to contribute to the happiness of others" -BP
A equipa em Trás-os-Montes
Budget and due dates
The need to create crowdfunding came from the lack of sponsorships that we are suffering in this pandemic. In addition to registration, this campaign is also used to help with the purchase of a car and its preparation for desert conditions, since certain specifications and changes to the car are mandatory. We call on everyone to help us raise the € 700 that are so essential and indispensable for our trip.
UniRaid will take place from February 13th to February 21st, 2021 but we need to have the car ready for the trip in December so that we can detect any breakdowns that could appear and fix them before heading to Morocco.
