Volunteers walk 150 km to promote education in rural China

Volunteers of the "Walk to Guangzhou" charity activity [Photo/southcn.com] 

More than 200 volunteers from Hong Kong and Guangdong province ended their fund-raising event "Walk to Guangzhou" at Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium on Feb 22 after walking over 150 km within five days. 

Sponsored by the Guangdong Youth Development Foundation and Hong Kong Sowers Action, the annual event aims to promote education in rural China by providing multidimensional support measures such as student sponsorship, school construction and facilities, teacher training, children & youth welfare and special education, bringing education to underprivileged or disabled students.

A volunteer in a wheelchair gives a thumbs-up for the charity activity after completing his "Walk to Guangzhou" journey. [Photo/southcn.com] 

Since 1993, the "Walk to Guangzhou" charity activity has collected over 88 million Hong Kong dollars ($11.25 million). More than 5,500 volunteers have mobilized kind-hearted people to support elementary education careers in the Chinese mainland. The renowned activity has become a demonstration in deepening cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong and gives full play to their superior resources. It has benefitted over 50 counties and cities in Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Hebei, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. 

This year, the walking route starts in Hong Kong and terminates in Guangzhou Tianhe district after transiting three districts in Shenzhen (Futian, Nanshan and Baoan), two in Dongguan (Chang'an and Humen) and another three in Guangzhou (Nansha, Panyu and Huangpu).

Sponsors decided to use this year's donation to the "Hope Rural Teacher Plan" to support recruiting young volunteer teachers in poverty-stricken areas in Guangdong province.

Volunteers of the "Walk to Guangzhou" charity activity end the fund-raising event at Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium on Feb 22. [Photo/southcn.com]