AN ADVENTUROUS young woman will tackle a gruelling walking challenge to highlight everyday difficulties in Africa.

Over the next two weeks Naomi Naylor, 22, is to walk with water strapped to her back for an hour every day in the hope of replicating conditions struggling African families face on a daily basis.

The mental health support worker is raising money for York-based International Service to pay for a ten-week trip to Burkina Faso, in Africa, where she will volunteer as an aid worker in January.

She said: "I researched the people I'm going to be helping and found their access to water is very limited.

"I'm going to be walking in the middle of the night because I work 12 hour shifts, so I'll have to do it before or after work.

"I'm quite nervous about doing it but I keep thinking it’s nothing compared to what the people in Africa have to do."

Naomi hopes to replicate the conditions women and children put themselves through every day, after research found the average distance they must walk to collect water is six kilometres, with the average weight of the liquid around 20kg.

The former Canon Lee School pupil has to raise £800 for her trip and is already halfway towards her total.

She added: "Earlier this year I travelled to Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia and when I was out there I thought something was missing from my trip, so I told myself that when I got home I would volunteer to do something like this.

"The trip is definitely going to be rewarding for me but I have no idea what it's going to be like out there.

"It's going to be good to see how people who are struggling and realise how easy it is for use to live our lives."

To sponsor Naomi visit http://www.justgiving.com/Naomi-Naylor