From Navarre to the gates of the Sahara in a vintage car and with charitable supplies

Seven students from the University of Navarra will participate from February 7 to 14 in the next edition of UNIRAID, an amateur charity rally that travels through southern Morocco with the goal submit humanitarian submit directly to local schools and communities along the route. The participants are Álvaro Gil, Carlos Fraga, Felipe Osborne, Álvaro de León Castillo, and Salvador Martin de Parias, students at the School Economics; Javier Ferrero, from the School Communication; and Pablo Prieto, from the School Education Psychology.

The initiative requires participants to travel in cars that are more than 15 years old. In this case, the young people set off in four vehicles that are more than 20 years old. In total, the students from the University of Navarra will be carrying 160 kilos of charitable donations, mainly toys, school supplies (notebooks, pencils, and paints), and sports equipment. 

This raid combines solidarity with adventure, setting participants the challenge crossing the desert without GPS, using only a roadbook, a map, and a compass, without attendance modern electronic devices.

The route is divided into six stages along mountain roads, tracks, sand, and dunes. Two of these are marathon-refuge stages, in which participants will not have financial aid mechanics and will sleep in the middle of the desert in tents with military rations, and another is a night stage. The route begins in Tangier and crosses the interior of Morocco and the Atlas Mountains, following the old Paris-Dakar routes until it ends in Marrakech.

The competitive part of the rally is based on the skill the best navigators, work , and the contribution of charitable materials. "We decided to participate in the rally because we wanted to be part of a project would allow us to add something more to our university experience. In addition to the charitable and adventurous aspects, this project teaching us about mechanics, how to obtain sponsorships—a process that has taken us months—and how to work as a team," says Carlos Fraga, a student of Economics Governance.

The students sought support from companies and collaborating entities, both in Navarre and nationwide, which contributed to the restoration of the vehicles and donated charitable materials and other sponsorships. They have also had the support of the University. "Various Departments Schools thrown Schools behind us, such as the School Economics and the Sports Service, Sports Servicesays Pablo Prieto, a psychology student.

During the raid, the students themselves will document their journey using GoPro cameras so that they can later share their experience from Navarre to the gates of the Sahara.