A Walk for the Future

Walk for Darfur

I live on the prairies in Canada. The land is flat, the weather can change from bathing suit hot to freezing cold in hours. Last weekend we were in the grips of a snowstorm. This weekend I went from Red Deer to Edmonton by car and there was hardly a trace of snow just a little hiding in the north recesses of the tree lines. The high temperature of the day was 12.9C, at its’ lowest 2.1C. The North wind gusted to 46 k/hr trying to knock the car off the road. A typical prairie spring day.

In the vastness of nothing but fields I spotted a group of teens huddled together against the wind walking along the road facing north. Facing into the cold wind. Clutching tightly their coats to their bodies. Their backpacks trying to fly free like kites behind them. Heads down to protect their eyes they walked.

Their goal to walk 300 km between Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta in 8 days making 15 presentations to high schools about the 2 million people displaced by the genocide in Darfur. They are hoping to raise money that will be donated to Warchild, a non-profit organization providing front line support to the people of Darfur.

I had wished I had taken their picture. People say that teens don’t care but here was a group of people who hoped to make a difference in the world. Here they huddled together walking with hope that their message would be heard.

To read more of their trip click here for their story.

I would also like to mention that at the time I spotted them there was no support vehicles in sight for at least 20 km in either direction. These young people walked alone as Darfur walks alone.