When Giel Malual set out to walk the length of the UK to raise money to open a school for displaced children from his home country of Sudan, he did not expect the welcome he would receive from the British public.
“All the houses that we slept in, all the welcome that we were given, all the warmth and the support, the cheers and the encouragement that we have received, it has been overwhelming,” said Malual, who completed the 900-mile walk over a month with his friend John Kuei, who is also from Sudan.
As they trekked from Dungeness in Kent up to John o’Groats in Scotland over 33 days, battling some of the coldest weather of the year, he says they were inundated with messages from people across the country offering them a hot meal and a free room for the night.
In other places, Airbnb hosts refunded them and gave to their cause, while many people stopped their cars to chat and make donations.
“We hear a lot of negativity from a loud minority in this country,” said Malual, who came to the UK from South Sudan aged 16. “I believe it’s not what truly represents the British public, because we have been accommodated by people from all cultures, races and backgrounds.
“Of course, with the political dynamic going on in the country, we thought people may have some reservations about us. But we have seen for ourselves there’s nothing to actually fear.”
They originally set out to raise £35,000 to open a school at a Sudanese refugee camp in Chad, but the pair have raised over £100,000 via GoFundMe and now hope to build several schools.
They set out from Kent on 19 December, deliberately choosing to complete the walk over the coldest weeks of the year to make it a tougher challenge. One of the most gruelling moments of the trek was crossing the border to Scotland, a 16-hour walk from Otterburn to Galashiels in -5C (23F) temperatures.
Malual said: “It’s deeply personal to me. Deciding to do this in winter was to create awareness and also to put myself in the shoes of day-to-day Sudanese struggles in life, how hard it is for them to survive and walk hundreds of miles to find safety.”
The pair were supported by Asylum Speakers, an organisation that helps amplify refugee voices in the UK. Gulwali Passarlay, an Afghan refugee and public speaker who helped provide logistical support for the walk, said: “The rightwing politicians keep saying they know the will of the people. But the will of the people we’ve seen has been very different.
“In the last 900 miles, they’ve seen nothing but compassion, kindness and generosity. They raised £90,000. In just a month. They have seen more of Britain than some of these racist politicians who claim to represent the people. They’ve been through so many cities and towns and villages, and met so many people.”
After reaching their final destination of Duncansby Head lighthouse on Wednesday, the pair arrived back into London on Thursday evening where they were met by a welcome party at King’s Cross station to congratulate them on their endeavour.
Reflecting on what the walk had taught him, Malual said: “When we were on that journey, walking in the cold and on the road, finding these people we didn’t know helping us out and supporting us, without judging us based on what we look like – that is the true value of this society.”
