Before dawn on a Saturday morning, a group of women set out tired and hungry. They slept on a hard floor, and are wearing the clothes they slept in. Ahead lies a long trek through open countryside, followed by a gruelling muddy assault course. At the ends lies a long, uncertain wait for a deliberately meagre iftar.
This is the Trials & Tribulations challenge, a 24-hour immersive experience of solidarity — physically demanding, spiritually grounding, and unlike anything most participants have ever done. It asks participants to walk, in some small way, in the shoes of those forced to flee — and to let that experience do its work on them.
Walking with them
For millions of refugees, setting out exhausted and hungry into an uncertain day is not a challenge. It is just life.
The Trials & Tribulations challenge asks participants to face that reality head on — in their bodies, souls and in community with one another. Not to simulate suffering, but to close some of the distance between our comfort and their reality. And to stop looking away.
Every element of the challenge is deliberate. An uncomfortable night on the floor. A fast carried through physical exertion. An assault course tackled in modest dress, possessions carried throughtout. A simple, uncertain iftar. Each moment mirrors something real, and each moment teaches what no amount of reading ever quite can.
Twenty-four hours
It begins on Friday evening with a gathering filled with prayer, reflection and a shared meal. Nightfall brings tahajjud, a night’s rest without comfort, and early rise for sahoor. By the time participants set out at first light, they are already carrying something of what they came to understand.
The Saturday trek takes the group through woodland and open countryside, fasting and tired, but together. Beyond the walk lies the assault course: wet, muddy, and designed to push every reserve they have. Then comes the return journey and the waiting — hungry and uncertain — for an iftar that is simple by design. And finally, Isha prayer, bringing the circle closed.
It is demanding, but it is also, by every account, extraordinary.
Who this is for
Most participants are ordinary Muslim women — mothers, students, colleagues — neither fearless fitness fanatics nor seasoned adventurers. The only requirements is that they are willing: to be uncomfortable, to be changed, and to show up for something larger than themselves.
Participants consistently describe discovering strength they did not know they possessed, bonds formed in shared struggle that outlast the day, and a renewed gratitude that quietly reshapes how they see their ordinary lives. Some come back and do it again.
Why take it on?
The Trials & Tribulations challenge is an immersive experience that invites participants to step into the shoes of refugees, gaining a small but meaningful glimpse into the trials they face, in an act of profound solidarity.
Through a carefully structured day of reflection, physical endurance, and teamwork, participants develop deeper empathy whilst strengthening their own resilience and community bonds.
This isn’t simply a physical challenge — it’s a transformative journey that builds character, deepens understanding, and creates lasting connections between participants and the wider human experience of struggle and perseverance.
Fundraising and impact
Many groups run the challenge as a fundraising opportunity, raising money for refugee support organisations through sponsorship. But participants will tell you that what they carry home goes far beyond what was raised. They return having experienced something together that is hard to put into words, which is precisely why they want to share it.
Ready to begin?
The guides on this website give you everything you need to run your own challenge event, from planning the route and managing safety, to facilitating reflection and supporting your group through the experience. Whether you are gathering a small circle or mobilising a wider community, you have everything here to make it happen.
This unforgettable experience will inspire, empower, and transform participants whilst creating meaningful impact in the lives of others. These resources will help you create an experience that honours the refugee journey whilst building unbreakable bonds within your own community.