© UNHCR/Jutta Seidel
Australia
Join our Stepping with Refugees challenge this November
Be inspired by stories from people forced to flee
Australia
Be inspired by stories from people forced to flee
Sign up for our Stepping with Refugees challenge to raise vital funds for displaced people this November.
Every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes. Many of them walk for days or weeks to find safety and protection.
Our unique step challenge brings Australians together to support the vulnerable people forced to take these dangerous journeys, including children fleeing on their own. By joining our Stepping with Refugees challenge, you can show your solidarity with refugees and raise much-needed funds.
You can choose to take part individually or as part of a team. Why not rally your sports club, workplace or community group to fundraise together and assist even more refugees in need?
To inspire you, three refugees share the stories of their journeys to safety. Challenge yourself or your team with these distance goals:
“The greatest moment was when I heard that I came first place in the camp.”
Mutaz and his family travelled 58km from their hometown in Syria to Jordan to escape the war.
With UNHCR’s support, Mutaz completed his education and achieved outstanding results in the Tawjihi examination – the equivalent of the HSC.
“The greatest moment was when I heard that I came first place in the camp. I was suffering from a poor internet connection and I used to study 6-12 hours a day.”
Mutaz dreams of studying medicine and inspiring other students to pursue their dreams.
“I advise students at this age to work hard. Nothing is impossible and their motto in life needs to be ‘I can’.”
With your help, UNHCR can provide quality education to help refugees rebuild their lives and give back to their communities.
“I can’t count the number of people that were displaced with us. Nearly everyone in the village had left.”
Ardo walked 260km from her village in the Eastern Somali region of Ethiopia to escape a devastating drought.
The mother of four is now living with 500 other displaced families at a makeshift site, while the worst drought in decades continues to ravage communities across the Horn of Africa.
“We have never seen drought like this,” says Ardo. “It has affected everyone. We have named it ‘the unseen’.”
After six consecutive failed rainy seasons, the situation is dire. Families have lost their homes and livestock.
With your help, UNHCR can provide shelter, water and cash assistance to help drought-stricken families buy food and medicine.
“When we had the chance, we decided to run.”
Agoth and her family were living comfortable lives in Khartoum, Sudan, before the conflict broke out in April. With her family, she travelled for three days before arriving at the South Sudanese border.
“We had to hide in our rooms from the bombs falling, with no food or water. When we had the chance, we decided to run.”
Many refugees arrive at the transit centre malnourished and traumatised. UNHCR is providing shelter, water and medicine to help vulnerable families fleeing the conflict.
But more people are arriving at the centre each day in search of safety and protection. With your support, UNHCR can provide life-saving supplies for forcibly displaced families.
The number of displaced people in the world has grown exponentially in recent years. More than 110 million people are displaced as result of persecution, violence, human rights violations and natural disasters. This means that 1 in every 74 people on Earth has been forced to flee.
By joining our Stepping with Refugees challenge, you can show your solidarity with refugees like Mutaz, Ardo and Agoth, and raise much-needed funds.
The majority of funds raised by Australia for UNHCR are directed to UNHCR’s emergency operations, providing the ready funds and resources to respond quickly and effectively in situations of crisis and disaster.
