KIRKBY Stephen's Jess Dillon, 23, will be walking 140 miles barefoot from Whitehaven to Sunderland to raise £1,000 for The Ankoma Dream, named after a village in Ghana.
"I wanted to do something different while raising as much money as I can," said Jess, who studies race and resistance at Leeds University. "Many people in Ankoma have either no shoes, or just one pair, nothing like walking boots. They also have to walk really long distances for things like water."
The Cumbria-based charity seeks to bring six Ghanaian youngsters from the poverty-stricken village for a dream trip to the Lake District in 2018.
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During their stay, the children will visit schools to tell Cumbrian pupils about their country and share their experiences with members of their community after returning home.
Jess, who ran the Manchester Marathon for the same cause last year, began her walk yesterday (June 6) and hopes to finish Sunday. Visit her fundraising page at: www.gofundme.com/baretodream
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