German royals, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and his wife Sophie-Alexander, last weekend walked 100 kilometers in a charitable event meant to raise funds to help children from marginalised communities in Kenya learn.
The event, spearheaded by Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, saw participants embark on a grueling 100-kilometer, 24-hour walk from Kaltenberg Castle to Hohenschwangau Castle both located in Bavaria, Southern Germany.
From the event dubbed Lions March, Ksh31.3 million (200,000 euros) was raised and is expected to go into various education initiatives including setting up ICT labs in Turkana County.
The non-profit organization, Learning Lions, established by Prince Ludwig in 2014, aims to provide young people in Kenya with valuable IT skills and a brighter future.
"Without the Lion March and its donors, the Learning Lions project would not exist," the prince stated.
Among the participants in this annual walk were also Princess Marie-Christine de Merode and her family, who contributed Ksh 391,380 (2,500 euros) to the cause.
This year's event saw a huge turnout, with over 1,058 people taking part.
Each hiker's contribution was determined by the distance covered, with a specific amount allocated to support the children for every kilometer traveled.
As participants navigated the route, which passed through fields, forests, and small villages, they were provided with water at regular intervals to keep them going.
To prevent anyone from getting lost during the march, the event organizers employed a system where helpers scanned the number of arriving hikers and marked the supply station as the last stop for those who chose not to continue their walk.
In 2020, Learning Lions established an ICT model campus along the shores of Lake Turkana, with plans to replicate such infrastructure in numerous other underserved communities.
"The campus can host up to 300 lions and is also open to international digital nomads and entrepreneurs who want to develop projects and build startups or outsourcing teams with our Lions," a statement posted on the NGO's website reads.
