The Long March For Education is one of the charity activities organized by Sowers Action to raise donations to help children education in China.

Children in some mountain localities often have to walk for hours to attend schools. As such, Sowers Action employs largely walking activities as instruments to raise donations. By so doing, participants of the activities would be able to feel and experience the plights of school children having to walk long distance to and from schools.

To promote the mission of helping children education in China, Sowers Action joined hands with China Youth Development Fund and in 2004 organised a mega charity walkathon – The Long March For Education. This unprecedented large-scale walkathon, set out from Ruijin of Jiangxi Province in October 2004, traced the historic route of the Red Army and trekked through 10 provinces, completed triumphantly at Wuqi of Shaanxi Province in August 2005.

This 10 months’ long activity, participated by more than a thousand walkers coming from Hong Kong, the mainland provinces, as well as overseas countries, and accompanied by tens of thousands of local volunteers, raised more than HKD30 millions in donation. The funds helped the rebuilding and improvement of over 100 schools. This Long March For Education expedition has laid a key historic milestone and made significant inroads in delivering and materializing Sowers Action’s mission of bettering children education in China.

To uphold the spirit of Long March For Education, and building on the success of the 2004 - 2005 accomplishment, Sowers Action now holds annually, a mini Long March For Education walkathon to raise funds. The walking treks now also extend away from the Red Army’s historic long march routes. In year 2006, The Long March for Education 2006-Sichuan Walkathon, in 2007, The Long March for Education 2007-Guizhou Walkathon, in 2008, The Long March for Education 2008-Gansu Walkathon, and in 2009, The Long March for Education 2009 – Yunnan Walkathon, and in 2010 The Long March for Eduction 2010 Guizhou South Walkathon, were all being successfully held and raised donations above targets each year

The Long March For Education 2011 Qinghai Walkathon

This year, the Long March for Education 2011 Qinghai Walkathon will depart on 30 July 2011. It will be an eight (and nine)-day trip, trekking through scenic regions in Qinghai Province, to cover a planned walking distance of some 80 km. This activity plans to recruit around 150 participants with an objective to raise donations of more than HKD 2 million.

Apart from walking through scenic regions, the Long March expedition will also include the visit of primary schools along the route, and to share funs with the school children there.

Special features of The Long March For Education walkathon of the recent years, as opposed to other Sowers Action activities, are:

• To trek along scenic or historic regions in China
• To visit schools along the route, that have been or to be assisted by Sowers Action
• To walk for long distances rendering participating walkers opportunity to experience and feel the plights of school children in mountain regions
• To promote Sowers Action’s mission and objectives to improve children education in China