I’m Jerry from China, a second-year student at United World College in Mostar (UWCiM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When I was a little boy, my mother was telling me the story of Zhang Qian (the Chinese Marco Polo), how he trekked through the desert and found the Silk Road to the West. Since then, I could even hear the of camel’s bells ringing in my dream: I want to follow his adventure one day!
This summer (23rd May - 23rd Aug), along with 3 other classmates from UWC, (Magdalena-Germany, Sam-Australia, Kesava-India), I will cycle from Europe to China along the Silk Road. Passing through 6178 km and 8 countries in 92 days. We aim to become the youngest team in human history to bike across the Eurasian continent.
We want to promote environmental sustainability and cross-cultural understanding throughout this project. We’ve divided the trip into 6 parts and bike 120 km a day on average (the route map can be found at this link ). Between each part we plan 2 window days for flexibility in case of unexpected events. In the cities we plan to stay for 3-5 days to connect with people with the help of UWC alumni, to listen to their stories, and share those stories with the world.
We want to focus our conversation on the theme of “Dream”: what dreams do the people on the Silk Road have? Why do they have that dream? We will tell their stories through pictures and videos on various online platforms ( facebook page , Instagram, website etc.), so our audience can know how the locals live, and how they long for a better life. The original unfamiliarity, due to the difference in culture and religion, can be turned into curiosity for learning. As more people understand the grass root people of these countries, the foundation for future learning and cooperation is laid.
Ultimately, we need your funding for this 92-day project:
Biking equipment : 2 bikes 3000€, accessories 360€, spare parts 100€, tools 50€
Visa application : 675€
Living expenses : food and water: 2160€ (12€ a day), accommodation 1700€, cloth (cycling pads, clipless pedals, gloves, glasses) 440€
Safety : GPS tracking equipment 200€, phone service 100€, satellite phone (in case there’s no signal) 489€, insurance 500€, medicine 50€
In total : 9824€
(We will donate the bikes to UWC Changshu Biking Club after the trip and DONATE ALL the unused money to the UWC movement for sponsoring scholarships to expand this life-changing experience)
We, as students, might be short of income, but we have full passion to leverage our energy to make the history, connect the human beings across the cultures, and promote the understanding.
PLEASE SUPPORT US! Your contribution can make this project a reality!
