Two foreign teachers walk 2,000km to raise money for disadvantaged Vietnamese children

Anh Ngô

Phileas Fogg tried to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days in Jules Verne’s classic novel written in 1872. That’s exactly the same amount of time in which two expats are hoping to walk from Hà Nội to HCM City.

Teachers Jake Norris, 36 and Sean Down, 44 set off on the 2,000-kilometre journey in December.

They hope their mammoth trek will raise a staggering $200,000 for two children’s charities in Việt Nam. The pair insist they are not doing it for personal satisfaction, but instead to ‘give back’ to the country they now call home.

“I wanted to give back to the country and its people who have given me so much,” Jake, from Burra, South Australia, said to Việt Nam News.

“When I returned to Việt Nam, unfortunately, COVID reared its ugly head again and then I got an injury. But in 2023, Sean asked me if the walk was still going ahead and asked if he could get involved.”

Funds raised from their trip will be split between the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation and children’s charity Thành Lộc.

Having quit their jobs in May 2023 to focus on training and fundraising, the duo set off on the famous Hồ Chí Minh Trail on December 2, departing from Hà Nội’s Opera House.

They are equipped with backpacks weighing up to 10kg and they are documenting every step of their journey on camera.

Sean Down (right) and Jake Norris are walking 2,000km for charity. Photos courtesy of Jake Norris, Sean Down, and Will Hamilton

Sean, from Dublin, Ireland, added: “It doesn’t sound like a lot, but you can feel it over time. We’ve both got kind of muscle spasms behind the neck from the weight of the bag pulling.”

Since their initial steps, the pair has been persistently walking across Việt Nam for several weeks. Every day, they wake up at five, are on the road at about six, and tend to walk together between five and eight kilometres in the morning.

“We’ve seen some crazy things, some beautiful sights and wonderful people,” said Sean.

“We’ve fought off some injuries and some infections, but it’s in general, it’s been fantastic.”

This initial stretch is followed by a cherished ritual: stopping for their daily dose of black coffee accompanied by vegan, protein-rich bars. Jake describes this as their Cà phê đen đá time, a moment to recharge and refuel. Post-coffee, they would split up and walk separately as Sean humorously notes, spending 24 hours a day together would be overwhelming.

Jake Norris at Quảng Ngãi Province during the charity walk.

Given their average daily distance of 30-35km, they often wrap up their walking by early afternoon. They follow this rigorous schedule almost every day, undeterred by the whims of weather, be it scorching sun or torrential downpours.

Sean said: “There’s just some days when it’s difficult to get out of the bed and difficult to put one foot in front of the other. Other days, it’s easy.”

“But there’s the physical stuff. And then there’s the mental game, your motivation, your focus, your determination. That’s the toughest stuff, I think.”

Another unique aspect of their journey lies in the path they chose.

“We take a route much less travelled,” said Jake.

“We went inland through rural communities as we wanted to meet people, go through these smaller communities, and have these experiences.”

This choice creates obstacles and challenges, such as finding food or sometimes even finding human contact when they go through remote areas. However, it offered them compensatory rewards: The opportunity to witness breathtaking landscapes and forge meaningful connections with local communities.

Sean Down at Quảng Ngãi Province during charity walk.

Throughout their journey, the pair has been deeply moved by the kindness and generosity of the local people. Jake fondly recalled moments when children in the poorest regions of Việt Nam, came up on a bicycle, initially greeting them with a simple “hello” on a hot day.

“They cycled off and five minutes later, they cycled back with a bottle of water in hand, orange juice, and some snacks,” he said. “The generosity of these children, who have so little yet offer so much, is both fantastic and beautiful.”

The pair’s journey is continuing, and they anticipate facing more challenges on the road ahead. There have been moments when the walking seemed overwhelming, pushing them to the brink of giving up. However, a profound realisation keeps them going.

“When you’re reminded that compared to the lives of some of these children, or unlucky people, this isn’t all that hard. And that’s all the motivation we need to keep going day to day,” Sean said.

As well as raising money, the pair also wants to leave a lasting message.

Jake said: “Probably the message we want to leave really from this walk is to be good, do good, create change. So you know, if you’ve got a bit of money in the pocket, every dollar counts.”

“We are not asking for people to give a million dollars. We need a million people to give a few dollars. It’s going to create significant change, and it’s going to change a lot of lives for the better.”

There is still a long way to go for this dynamic duo who are determined to raise money for good causes, so they continue, one step at a time. — VNS