Trio to Walk Across Michigan to Aid East Africa Famine

A trio of Macomb Township friends will take the first step in a 168-mile cross-state journey on Sept. 8 to raise awareness and funding for relief and development in the famine-ravaged lands of East Africa. The group expects to pass through Novi on Sunday, Sept. 11.

Matthew Sitek, 31, Jessica Sitek, 28, and Brian Vitale, 30, officially launched Hand Up 4 East Africa about two weeks ago, although the inspiration for the project can be traced to Matthew Sitek’s trip to the region last year.

“I was living and working with a nonprofit in Kenya and traveled throughout Ethiopia,” Matthew Sitek said. “Having that connection to East Africa and then seeing the famine that was going on … my sister and I were very moved by the famine and the pictures of the famine and we knew that it got a little bit of coverage, but the severity was huge and less covered than it probably should be.”

Determined to raise awareness for the famine and its victims, Matthew Sitek, sister Jessica, and childhood friend Brian Vitale began to brainstorm ways to publicize the issue and fund-raise for relief.

“We thought walking would be a pretty strong statement in solidarity with the victims in East Africa,” Jessica Sitek said, as famine victims will often walk hundreds of miles to seek aid in refugee camps.

Thus, the plan to walk 168 miles from Holland to Detroit was born.

Because Hand Up 4 East Africa is not a nonprofit, the group chose international aid agency Mercy Corps as its fund-raising partner.

“It’s not just an aid and relief agency, it’s also a development agency, so they’re going into these communities and they’re offering the much-needed relief, but they are also implementing sustained change so these communities can emerge strong and resilient,” Jessica Sitek said.

The fact that Mercy Corps sends more than 91 percent of its donations directly to the region it is aiding was also a deciding factor for the group.

The trio has already raised some $5,000 and Matthew Sitek said he is confident the initial $10,000 goal will be broken by the time the group sets off from Holland on Sept. 8.

“I have no doubt that we’re going to raise above $10,000, but the key is really more around the awareness piece, getting people engaged and aware of the trek we are embarking on,” Matthew Sitek said.

It is because of this focus on the meaning of the steps, rather than the owners of the feet, that the project's publicity photos are faceless.

“We don’t really want it to be about us, we want it to be about the situation and the journey,” Matthew Sitek said. “And we want it to be about everyone else that wants to be involved in it as well.”

While only the Siteks and Vitale are planning to walk the entire 168 miles, the three encourage others to join them along the route.

The group is still working out the logistics of the trip, but Matthew Sitek said they expect to travel some 40-50 miles every day. In addition to Novi, they will also pass through Farmington, Brighton and Lansing.

“We realize it's going to be a painful process, but it is a sacrifice that we are choosing,” he said.

“Women and children are walking to save their lives," Jessica Sitek added. "We’re walking to hopefully make an impact on the situation.”

For more information and to follow the group's journey, visit their Facebook, Twitter and blog.

To make a donation, visit the Mercy Corps website.