Oxford’s RAG committee is liaising with The Hitch, an annual event organized by Link Community Development. LCD is a charity working in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve the quality of education.
Participants can either follow the Croatia Hitch, covering 900 miles and seven countries in six days, or the Morocco Hitch, an even longer 1200 mile journey through four countries in eight days. Both span a fascinating range of cultures and promise unforgettable travel experience.
Florence Avery, head of this year’s RAG committee, said, “Our aim is quite simple – to raise as much money for LCD as possible, while offering students a fantastic travel opportunity!”
Avery also told Cherwell that she chose this particular event due to the integrity of the charity involved as “all the money you fundraise goes directly to the cause”.
Over 8000 people have taken part in the Hitch since it begun in 1992, travelling almost 10,000 miles in total – more than 400 times around the world. Together they have raised over £4,000,000 for LCD. The Hitch is a uniquely safe way to experience hitchhiking because of the degree of care taken over the safety of every individual.
All 8000 people returned without any serious incidents. Girls are encouraged to travel with a male and numerous help lines are provided for emergencies. Members are tracked via GPS on their mobile phones – a text is sent to them each day, enabling the overseers to work out where they are. One participant was delighted by this tracking system, claiming, “It was fantastic – I wish I could have it permanently on all three of my children!”
Students will be given the opportunity to talk to those who have done it before and information about how to maximise their sponsorship.
Feedback from students who have completed the challenge is positive. Max Harris, a Jesus student who did the Morocco Hitch last year, described it as not just ‘great fun’ but also a useful learning experience. It’s ‘a fairly lengthy hitch-hike, so you have the opportunity to really hone your ability to convince strangers to give you a lift for free.’ He also stressed the unique opportunity that hitchhiking offers for ending up in unexpected places: “My friends and I ended up in rural Spain, sampling a beer in a pub full of locals confused by the presence of tourists in their tiny village.”
