Kilimanjaro for the Palm Association

My family and I have lived in Bahrain for almost 15 years. Both children, Matthew who is 14 and Lianna who is 12 were born here in Awali, so for us it feels very much like home. We feel we have been extremely fortunate in having a wonderful life here, and we consider ourselves lucky to have made many lasting friendships with both expatriates and Bahrainis. Just over 9 years ago, I joined a group of determined ladies who also called Bahrain “home”. We wanted to give something back to the community in which we lived and that had made us feel so welcome. The Palm Association was formed to help the many needy Bahraini families living in poor conditions in villages across the country. Over the years hundreds of families have been sent monthly food parcels, had their homes which were in serious disrepair renovated, and dedicated Bahraini students who could not otherwise afford the fees have been sponsored through university courses which should enable them to find employment to support themselves and their families.

Although we are currently living in Dubai due to my husband’s job, I still maintain strong links with The Palm Association. I wanted to do something tangible that would maintain those links while also benefiting those in need within the local community in Bahrain. The idea of attempting to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro really came out of the blue, a chance remark by someone seized my imagination. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that it would be a fantastic way to achieve several objectives. Firstly, if I raised money from corporate and individual donations, I could give it to the Palm Association. Secondly, I have always tried to keep reasonably fit and as I am currently not working I have plenty of time to devote to working out. Training to climb a 5896m mountain would definitely give me a purpose for the exercise! Finally, I enjoy a challenge, and this would certainly be one, both mentally and physically.

I had a huge boost right at the beginning from Riffa Views who were the first company I approached for sponsorship. Riffa Views’ support for local community initiatives has not only benefited Bahrain as a whole, it has also established a platform that we, as members of the Riffa Views’ community can build on in the future. Once the development is completed and the project team moves onto new challenges, it will be up to us, the homeowners, to continue and sustain the community projects that Riffa Views have supported over the years. As a homeowner, I see their support of this worthy cause as providing me with the encouragement to start this very process. I feel that as we are privileged to live a comfortable life in Bahrain, it is important to try to help in any way, those people within the local community who are not as fortunate as we are. Bahrain is a wonderful country with hospitable people. We regard it as “home” and are looking forward to returning, taking up our residence amid the super new community of Riffa Views, with many of our old friends as neighbours. Inshallah!

To sponsor me please visit my website. www.adventureswan.com.

Written by Nadia Swan, Riffa Views Homeowner.