(ANS - Uyuni)- As part of the campaign "Feed now their tomorrow" by the NGO "International Volunteers for Development" (VIS), two Italian athletes of Nordic Walking: Ernesto Maceda Mascitelli and Patrizia Sauli, are going through the expanse of the Salar de Uyuni - the largest salt lake in the world - to raise funds for young Bolivians supported by the "Proyecto Don Bosco."

Salar de Uyuni is located at 3,800 meters above sea level, on the border with Chile and close to the Bolivian Andes; it has an area of 10,500 Km² with a thick crust of salt from 0.5 to 10 meters.

The two athletes, started last August 10, intending to complete the crossing in less than 6 days, completely by themselves and without any outside help, facing the dangers of a strong temperature (+10 ° to -25 °), with gusts of wind that can reach 100 Km/hr and having to constantly keep their eyes shaded in order to avoid serious damage to the glare of the sun from the saline surface.

Patrizia and Ernesto are sleeping in tents at high altitudes and are fed exclusively with nutrient bars and tablets, carrying their equipment on a cart of light alloy, built for the occasion. The goal is to make the crossing from Colchani to llisa (about 180 Km).

After this trek, Patrizia and Ernesto will go on to Santa Cruz de La Sierra, where they will be greeted by the VIS staff and educators of the "Proyecto Don Bosco" Centre, and then will return to Italy.

In Santa Cruz the VIS works with the Salesians in the "Proyecto Don Bosco", a network of six centres that offers education and assistance to about 500 children and adolescents at risk and those living in the streets.

The funds that will be collected through this expedition will be used to support two lines of action:

- the distribution of food to the canteens of these 6 centers, to address cases of under-nutrition and malnutrition and to help raise the quality of food;

- the support for educational activities, didactics and the vocational training conducted by these Centres, which will be accompanied by educational entertainment initiatives that teach children their rights as recognized in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This trekking event is constantly updated in Facebook through pictures, films and Chronicles: Bolivia Walking Expedition Salar de Uyuni 2014.

Posted on il 14/08/2014