Raising Awareness of the Plight of Refugees

Sarrah Muchhala set herself a fundraising challenge to not only raise money by walking but also draw attention to the plight of refugees around the world who have no choice but to walk long distances in search of safety.

Sarrah, who is studying dentistry at the University of Manchester, walked over 100 miles around her neighbourhood, including the city centre and her university.  She split the miles equally by day, usually walking around three to four miles a day or until she hit 10,000 steps.

Sarrah kept a journal throughout her journey to document her experiences and impressions as she walked and thought about the stories of refugees who have undertaken far more arduous journeys.

“Having to make time to walk every day helped me to realise how long it takes to walk a certain distance and how long refugees travel in order to get to safety.  Especially on days when the weather wasn’t great and I still needed to go out, I pushed myself by thinking about those that don’t have a choice but to travel to safety no matter what the conditions.  In addition, the walking helped me clear my mind and was good for my health too,” Sarrah said.

In order to ensure her fundraising efforts had an impact, Sarrah organised an event at the end of her challenge at which she shared her experiences and invited people to donate to the Refugee Crisis Foundation.  She also encouraged those attending to do whatever they could, such as volunteering with the charity, starting a similar challenge of their own, or even just spreading the word about the crisis.

Sarrah’s fundraising challenge was a success, collecting over £170 for the Refugee Crisis Foundation.  She hopes that her efforts will help spread awareness of the difficult situation refugees face, as well as inspire others to take action and support refugee relief efforts.  Through her courage and determination, Sarrah has demonstrated that, when we work together, we can make a difference. Sarrah Muchhala reminds us all that, no matter how small our actions may be, they can have a lasting ripple effect.