Caritas Internationalis lays down the challenge to communities across the world to organise local solidarity walks with migrants and refugees. It is planned to walk 1 million kilometers across the globe together by the end of 2019 as part of the Caritas confederation’s Share the Journey campaign. The global walk is an opportunity to stand together with migrants and refugees and to spread a message of hope, love, and solidarity in a world which really needs it.

In the efforts of Caritas India to contribute to this global initiative,  Caritas India Tamil Nadu State Office has taken the lead in collaborating with institutions that are concerned about the issues of migrants and refugees. Chevalier T. Thomas Elizabeth College for Women (CTTE), Chennai volunteered to contribute its bit to this noble cause.

Dr.Hanifa Ghosh, Principal of CTTE said “ It is our privilege to associate with Caritas,  the well-knit humanitarian organisation. It is a very good initiative to create awareness on the issues of migrants.  They are one of the most affected communities.

They are always at the receiving end and are stigmatised. Media has not done justice by sufficiently focusing on this issue. As an institution, CTTE is committed to sensitise the youth on this issue and it is the need of the hour”.

574 Students from Youth Red Cross, National Service Scheme, Social Work Department, Student Council and a volunteer team of CTTE College participated in the Solidarity Walk to share their concern.

They were joined by 8 faculty members thus making the total number of participants as 582.  Starting from the college campus, walking through the Madhavaram – Perambur arterial road, the rally covered 4 KM on 5^th March 2019. The campaign was jointly flagged off by  Dr. Hanifa Ghosh and Caritas India State Officer Dr. John Arokiaraj.

A brief introduction on the purpose of the campaign, issues of migrants and refugees and need for a collaborative effort to address the issue though solidarity preceded the walk. Students carried placards highlighting the issues of migrants and how we can show our solidarity. As a collective, they were excited in contributing 2328 KM in the 1 million KM Global Walk target.