“And be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Quran 8:46)
The mums are out of the water, and many believe the challenge is over. It is not. The last trek loops back through the course and on beyond it, with tired legs and wet clothes.
This part asks for something different from the rest. The hardest moment has passed, but there is no cheering and no relief yet. For many displaced people, there is never a clear moment when the hardest part is over.
| When | Where | The heart of it |
|---|---|---|
| 3:15pm to 4:30pm | The course and nearby woodland | A last, tired trek back to where you began |
Setting off again
Before the group sets off, make sure everyone has had a warm drink and a few dates. The guide checks each mum for the signs of cold.
The route stays within easy reach of shelter. Each guide has the authority to shorten it and bring her group back by the quickest safe way. In cold weather, expect to use that authority.
The route
The loop covers about two miles, or an hour to an hour and a half. It has fewer obstacles than the first half, but they come in a different order. It leads back through part of the course, then on through woodland, along a stream or across fields, before returning to the start.
Agree the route with the venue in advance, and walk it. Choose paths with firm footing, and avoid anything that needs a high climb or a deep crossing with tired, wet mums.
Old obstacles, new eyes
Some of the earlier obstacles come round again. The muddy ditches that the group crossed upright in the morning can be crossed again, this time as low to the ground as possible. A hill climbed with a tyre is climbed again without one. Nothing is new, but everything is harder.
Guides may name this plainly. The threat has gone, but the mud is the same, and so is the tiredness. For many displaced people, after one border comes another, and after one river there is another river.
Walking it out
The pace is the pace of the slowest. Keep each group together, and count at every gate and every turn.
The walk is also a chance to reflect, if the mums have energy for it. Some will talk and others will be silent. Both are fine.
The finish
The mums arrive back where they began. Guides and instructors mark the finish with a few warm words. The groups gather and applaud one another.
Many will want to sit down, and some will cry. Let them. Say simply that the course is done, and that every mum has done something hard. Then lead them gently to the warm shelter.
Safety note. This is the longest period in wet clothes, so watch for cold above all. Check that the final trek will finish in daylight, and shorten it if it will not. Tired legs slip on muddy ground, so avoid steep or slippery sections. Count the group at the start, at every junction and at the finish. If Asr comes in during the trek, pray it at a safe, dry stop, and make the most of the quiet.
Reflection questions
- What was different about this walk, compared with the first?
- When did you feel the course would never end?
- What does it mean that, for some people, it truly does not?
The course is done. Now comes the relief.