Despite sore feet and aching backs eight Calgary youth with ties to Somalia had only one goal in mind this weekend.
They took it one step at a time as they trudged up Hwy 2A on their way to Edmonton late Sunday in an effort to raise money and awareness for those escaping famine and drought in the horn of Africa.
The Step Up For Somalia walk had seen the eight youth, who are all cousins, already raise $14,140 by Saturday morning where they stopped overnight Friday at Karen Luukkonen’s home before resuming their inspirational journey.
The seven women and a male all between ages 18-27 thought they would be successful if they raised $10,000.
However, the federal government will match the donations doubling their efforts.
“Everyone needs to step up and do their part to end the famine,” said Khadija Abdi, one of the walkers.
They are collecting donations mostly for Oxfam Canada from average Canadians.
“People are honking and cheering us on. Many of them stop and give us a Toonie or $5 or whatever. It’s just great to see that,” said Simona Siad.
“We’re not back home. We don’t know what they’re going through. We just see the images and the images are as devastating,” said Yasmin Siad.
“But we know as Calgarians and Canadians we are doing our part because we are so blessed living in this country,” said Filsan Abdi.
The 303 km-long walk is difficult enough, but the youth are devout Muslims who will not be eating between sunrise and sunset because of Ramadan.
A couple of them fasted from water the first day but the arduous journey is too difficult during the day to abstain from liquid intake, Simon Siad said
“So we take in a little water and Gatoraide,” she said.
“We understand that there are so many women and children that are walking 22 days plus with no food or water whatsoever,” she said.
“So even though we get to eat before the sun rises and after the sun sets, we have a luxury compared to what they have because we get to stop and go into a bed or a tent,” said Khadija Abdi.
Yasmin Siad said what keeps her walking is thinking about the story of a Somali woman who started walking with six and during each of her two longer stops she had to leave two children at a time on the side of the road to die before finally reaching a safe camp with two kids.
“I couldn’t imagine having to make those decisions of who would live and who would die,” Yasmin Siad said.
Reports indicate that more than 30,000 children less than five years old have died in the famine in the last three months.
She also said her sisters and her were born in Mogadishu, the capital, and even though they have a good life and education in Canada “our hearts are breaking for the people suffering back there.”
Yasmin Siad said when she completes her nursing degree she hopes to return to Somalia to help out in any way she can.
The walk idea came first from general discussion then the cousins got serious when Simona Siad suggested walking.
Planning took about a week and the project just took off mostly through the social media.
“We’ve been getting donations from all over the world because we put it on Twitter, Facebook a d YouTube,” Simona Siad said.
“We’ve received donations from Italy and Australia and many other places. We hear there are similar walks going on in other parts of Canada and the United States,” she added.
People can still donate at www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/Giving Page.aspx.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com