Can you give us a lift... to Morocco?

Former Warwick schoolboy Michael Duckworth, 19, will hitchhike to Tangier as part of a campaign called The Hitch which raises money for Link Community Development, a charity which helps to provide education for underprivileged children across Africa.

Michael, who is studying international business management at Oxford Brookes University, and his flatmate Ashley Graham from Stafford will start their journey in Oxford in on Monday April 2, catching lifts to Portsmouth and through France and Spain before arriving at their destination about ten days later and having covered 1,200 miles.

Michael said: “It’s something we wanted to do for the charity but also for ourselves.

“Travelling is an important part of growing up and we are really excited about experiencing different cultures and just speaking to a lot of different people along the way.

“Getting into different people’s cars and sharing information with them will be interesting but it’s also a bit of a challenge, we’re not underestimating it.”

With only basic skills in Spanish and French and no knowledge of Arabic the pair could find the language barrier a difficulty as they make their way through Europe and into Morocco.

But both of the students are used to travelling with Michael having worked at a sea turtle sanctuary in Sri Lanka for two months, toured around Thailand and played cricket with slum children in India as part of charity project while on a gap year.

Michael said: “Link Community Development was a new charity to both of us. We saw the challenge being promoted at a university freshers’ fair and both though ‘that’s definitely for us’. It’s fair to say I’m quite well travelled for my age but there’s so much else I want to see and I don’t want to say ‘I’ve done a lot’ because then I might not end up visiting other places.”

Since 1992 more than 7,500 have taken part in The Hitch, raising over £3.5 million for the charity.

Participants must raise £375 to take part.

Michael has set himself personal target of raising £575.

For more information about the students’ challenge or to make a donation click here