The Moroccan desert was the recent theatre of an impressive expression of solidarity and support to assist people touched with autism. It all started with a group of women working at IKO (Sonia, Julie, Séverine and Nadia, accompanied by Céline) who have a shared passion for sports and who want to heighten people’s awareness to the challenging reality families face with children having an autism disorder.

So, this past March they decided to participate in a 4-day women’s only orienteering course, Trek Elles Marchent, stretching over 120 km in the Moroccan desert. To motivate and encourage their desert trekking under a sizzling sun, they sought out Luxembourg-based sponsor-partners happy to support their effort by donating money to benefit the Fondation Autisme Luxembourg. Along with around ten other Luxembourg companies, Bâloise spontaneously contributed to this highly worthy cause.

The aim of this sport-driven mobilization is to promote and defend the rights of people  with autistic spectrum disorders in Luxembourg, to provide them with the adapted care and to help them be more autonomous within a select environment, notably by:

-          building a residential and day-care centre in Rambrouch,

-          organising holiday camps,

-          funding diverse outings and activities (cinema, shows…).

Under a blazing 46 degrees in the Moroccan desert, these hikers were served a fair share of physical and mental hardships whilst wandering amongst the sand dunes, crossing rocky peaks and long hours spent using compasses searching for the various control points.

These women travelled between 25 to 30 kilometres a day enabling them to bond through mutual mindfulness, observation and respect, and giving them the needed team-force to move ahead. A parallel to the values used on a daily basis by the teams at the Fondation Autisme Luxembourg, committed for nearly 25 years to people with autism spectrum disorders and their families.

Bâloise is proud to have helped out for this charity trek and warmly thanks this 4-person team as well as all the FAL personnel for their unrelenting commitment.