As many of you know, I joined HSBC colleagues from around the world on a 100km fundraising trek in March 2020 in Ecuador, and became the only participant who could not finish because my atrial fibrillation episode was triggered on the 3rd day and I was carried away to an emergency hospital in Quito. Staring into the darkness alone in a hospital room in a foreign land, I wondered grimly where I would go from there if I had to give up the mountains forever.

Since then, despite the ongoing battle to tame Afib, I have managed to continue acquiring new skills, climbing new peaks and visiting the wild places that I love, but stigma of not being able to finish Ecuador Trek stayed with me. So when Petra Dunes Challenge was announced for 2023, I jumped on it as my chance to finish what I started 3 years ago - a redemption of sort.

This time, I am raising funds in support of Jordan River Foundation's sustainability programs:

1) Wadi Rayan Project – Established in 1997, the Wadi Al Rayan Project revolutionized the use of cattail reeds and banana leaves as raw manufacturing materials, which were previously burnt and disposed of, posing as an environmental hazard to the Wadi’s inhabitants. Cattail reeds and banana leaves (over 10 tons each year) are used to produce handwoven environment friendly products, including baskets, coasters, mats, wall hangings among other home accessories.

2) Solar Panels Project – Purchasing and installing solar PV panels to use the abundant sunlight in Jordan, reducing the dependency on non-renewable energy. These solar PV panels produce over 340,000 kWh of energy, leading to over USD 120K saves annually

These projects in turn allows JRF to provide community empowerment programs and teach female Jordanians and Syrian refugees entrepreneurship to achieve sustainable financial independence.

Whether it's my 10+ year journey to stay active in the mountain in the face of ongoing Afib, or helping women achieve financial independence that resonates with you, please know that any amount of support you are willing to provide is truly appreciated by me.

Sincerely,

Mire

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