Members of StepUp Vancouver, a youth-led initiative, left Thursday morning from Crescent Beach, with a goal to make the long cross-country journey – on foot – to Seattle to raise funds for UNICEF Somalia.
They expect to reach Seattle by Saturday, Sept. 17.
The funds raised during the 49-hour, 198-kilometre walk are to be used by UNICEF to deliver supplementary feeding services to more than a million Somali children on the brink of death due to starvation.
In mid-July, the United Nations declared a state of famine in Somalia, following a prolonged drought which left millions at risk of starvation.
"Children should be our highest priority," said Muna Jimale, a Steveston resident, who is organizing StepUp Vancouver.
"We are appealing to organizations, businesses and persons to join this emergency response and sponsor our walk.”
The idea for the walk was inspired by the thousands of Somali children, who fight for their lives as they make a long, dangerous journey to refugee camps in Somalia's capital city, and to neighbouring Kenya and Ethiopia.
For more information on the walk, visit their website.