GREAT DRESS SENSE
Belinda Linton’s team of walkers donned school uniforms and strode 36km along the Gold Coast to help young girls in Sierra Leone IN THE West African nation Sierra Leone, girls are more likely to become a child bride than attend high school.
This harsh reality struck a chord with Southern Cross University student Belinda Linton, who teamed up with Melbourne-based organisation One Girl to create her own Do It In A Dress event and walk the length of the Gold Coast in a school uniform.
Belinda’s team of 10 walked 36km in under eight hours, from the Spit Seaway to Duranbah Beach, raising money for One Girl, which provides scholarships to keep girls in school, protecting them from child marriage and poverty.
“More than 60 million girls worldwide are denied an education and it’s the mission of One Girl to change this through women-focused initiatives starting on the ground in Sierra Leone and Uganda,” Belinda said.
“I have just finished 17 years of education and now I am doing my part to offer a fraction of that opportunity to women in challenging circumstances.
“Creating the Gold Coast Walkers team is my way of standing up to those injustices and making a lasting, positive impact.”
Belinda said there were teams all over Australia donning school dresses to take part in different challenges and that her team’s visibility on Gold Coast beaches, foreshores, national parks and busy roads helped raise curiosity and start conversations about their mission.
“Walking all the way from the Spit to Duranbah left us feeling simultaneously exhausted yet excited.
“We were pleasantly surprised to finish in just over seven hours, as the heat of the day and the aches and pains were beginning to take a toll.
“It was a beautiful day to take in the Gold Coast with the crystal clear water and many voices of support along the way. We were reminded again how lucky we are to live in a country like this and how this puts us in a position to help others who are in very different circumstances.
“So far, our team has contributed about $3000 to the One Girl total amount of almost $783,000 – enough to educate 2608 girls.”
Belinda recently completed a Bachelor of Trauma and Healing through the Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples at Southern Cross University and will graduate this year.