Hong

“On my birthday, I decided to walk (from Brighton to Eastbourne) - 26 miles to be exact, to raise money for refugee children in Ukraine because I was once a child refugee…”

Hong is an artist and film editor who lives in Brighton, not far from South Downs National Park. She came to the UK as a child from Vietnam seeking refuge with her family.

Last year, Hong walked over 26 miles from Brighton to Eastbourne through the South Downs National Park in order to raise money for UNICEF for refugee children in the Ukraine.

Watching news resports on the war, she felt a sense of helplessness. She knew how those children must have been feeling, she wanted to do something to help and so decided on her birthday to undertake a walking journey through the landscape to raise money in support of them.

She didn’t know much about map-reading and on her way, she got lost. The panic set in, she says “as a refugee, you have to adapt. You have to change with your environment, you know, to survive.”

Hong carried on until she found her way again, and eventually reached Eastbourne. She believes in the power of speaking openly, hearing others out and seeking to understand diverse perspectives on issues.