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9,000 kilometers of love

People walk through the snow
A Unique Walkathon from Europe & Israel

Key Points

  • Charity Walk for Humanitarian Initiatives: Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Amma couldn’t go on her international tours. In response, volunteers organized a charity walk spanning October and November to support Embracing the World’s humanitarian projects. Their goal was to collectively walk 9,000 kilometers from Europe to India.
  • Global Participation: The charity walk began in Italy and quickly gained momentum across Europe. Participants of all ages joined, including a 97-year-old gentleman in the UK who walked 20 km using his walker. In Ireland, participants not only walked but also cleaned up litter, while those in Lapland, Finland walked in snowy conditions with minimal daylight.
  • Solidarity and Outreach: The initiative’s success extended to dignitaries, including the Mayor of Granollers, Spain, and his Deputy Mayor, who participated. In total, 1,800 people from 13 countries joined the walk, collectively covering a distance of 67,500 km.

For the first time in more than 30 years, Amma has not been able to travel on her international tours due to COVID-19. Usually, Amma travels to Europe in the fall, so this year the volunteers found another way to make a difference in the world at this challenging time.

They held a charity walk across October and November to raise money for Embracing the World’s humanitarian initiatives, with participants in Israel joining in. They envisioned walking the 9,000 kilometers distance from Europe to Amma in India.

People in Italy, one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic, started the project. When it was finally possible, they were thrilled to be able to walk together again. Soon after that, the flames of enthusiasm spread across Europe.

Oldest participant stands with his walker

The eldest participant was Daniel in the UK, a gentleman of 97 years. Despite his physical limitations, his enthusiasm won over and he managed to walk 20 km. He used his walker and measured the distance by doing 200 laps around the kitchen table.

In Ireland, Annette and Arya walked around an island in Dublin Bay and also used the opportunity to pick up litter. Meanwhile, participants in the Lapland region of Finland braved the start of winter weather, as it is one of the coldest places in the world. They had their walks in the snow while the sun was shining only a couple of hours a day.

The wave of solidarity extended to dignitaries when the Mayor of Granollers, Spain, and his Deputy Mayor decided to take part. Mayor Josep Mayoral has been a key speaker at Amma’s program in Spain for many years and is also a member of the international organization Mayors for Peace.

At the end of the campaign, 1,800 people in 13 countries took part and walked 67,500 km.

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