How do you make remote co-workers feel connected when they’re geographically spread? This is one of the top questions many companies face today as remote work and global teams become increasingly common.
At 24Slides, we know this situation very well and have always put great effort into creating opportunities for our members in Denmark, Ukraine, Indonesia, and Peru to come together. However, due to the still ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, we had to be more creative this year.
That’s why we partnered up with Gulf for Good and decided to give our team a mission with the power to change other people’s lives affected by the pandemic. This is a recap of the 24Slides Global Challenge 2021 and how teamwork can create an impact in the world – no matter where you are.
The mission
In September 2021, we challenged our team to virtually hike the Machu Picchu Inca Trail. This meant they had to walk, run or bike 60km in a week – from wherever they were! They could walk to the office, run around the block, follow a cycling route in their city, or try it all together.
And for every employee who joined the challenge, 24Slides would donate emergency food packages to Chicuchas Wasi, a primary school for impoverished girls in Peru. Because of the lockdown, many girls’ families have lost their jobs, leaving them with no livelihood during the pandemic.
That’s what gave a greater purpose to our very first global challenge. And 70+ colleagues responded to the call.
The journey
It was a whole week where we virtually did the 60km Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu together. Walking, running, or biking, everyone challenged themselves to support a meaningful cause.
For some of them, it was a chance to resume an active life after confinement. Leslie, Design manager at 24Slides, says: “I think it was a lot of fun. Honestly, I struggle to exercise consistently, but this was a great motivation for me to stay healthy”. While others discovered that they could take their fitness goals further. “I loved it! 60km seemed fine to me. I suffered a bit to make it, but it didn’t seem impossible either. I think it would be great if there were more similar activities in the future”, adds Carla from our marketing team.
Even though we weren’t exactly in Cuzco, many of our colleagues took amazing photos of the local places they visited during the challenge. It was like sightseeing the world through our team’s eyes!
But what was the real impact of these past seven days?
The results
First of all, we achieved our goal of getting our team together. This virtual activity was the perfect chance to strengthen team building and connect with colleagues from all our offices. We also created a WhatsApp group where 60+ participants from Ukraine, Indonesia, Peru, and Denmark sent more than 100 daily updates about the challenge (700+ messages in total).
Looks like everyone had an awesome time!
Get ready for it – We did the math, and our team walked, ran, and biked the equivalent of 46.5 American football fields. All this team effort to support girls and their families in Peru. Plus, after the challenge ended, some members joined a Strava app club to stay motivated and active every day. Way to go, guys!
And our team is ready to take on this challenge again.
By far, our most significant result was giving back to the community by supporting Chicuchas Wasi. Knowing that we could make a change for them pushed us through the week. And thanks to our awesome colleagues, we’ve been able to secure emergency food packages for the 112 girls enrolled and their families.
“We deliver food to feed the family as a whole,” says Rae Lewis, founder of Chicuchas Wasi. To get the most out of the donation, Rae mentions: “We purchase in bulk, spending almost all of the funds to get the best price.” However, she also addresses the sadness during Christmastime when there’s a lockdown, that’s why they are saving a small amount to “provide the mixings for hot chocolate and Panetone bread to celebrate in each home.”
In the end, the 2021 Global Challenge was a unique opportunity to promote good health and well-being, reduce the vulnerability of risk groups, and ensure a quality education for girls in Peru.
As a Certified B Corporation, 24Slides is committed to making the world a better place, and experiences like this prove that when teams come together (even at a distance), every little action goes a long way.
