Four-hour hike in aid of war-torn Ukraine

A kind-hearted youngster from Malaga has been so saddened by the devastating war in Ukraine that he has decided to embark on a sponsored walk at the end of April in order to help those who have been affected by the tragedy.

Paulo White Muñoz, a 20-year-old who suffers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), decided to offer his help after watching the devastation unfold on television, so he sought the assistance of his father, Carlos, who came up with the idea of walking a half-marathon.

Paulo had struggled to come to terms with the conditions of the lockdown and the restrictions that followed to combat the spread of the coronavirus, and this, along with the current war in Ukraine, left him feeling despondent.

"My son is autistic and, generally, people with autism are very set in their ways, so Covid was a big thing for him. Just as we start to get over this, suddenly we are in a war, so it's all negative stuff. Paulo started thinking that this was going to be the end of the world, and so I thought that we have to make something positive out of this," Carlos explained to SUR in English.

Clad in t-shirts in the colours of Ukraine, Paulo and his father, along with family friend Graham Hill, will walk along the coast road from the Sunset Beach Club hotel in Benalmádena Costa to the María Zambrano train station in Malaga, with the aim of raising 1,000 euros.

The caring youngster, who attends the Universidad Laboral school in Malaga, has never undertaken anything like this in the past, but he believes that he will be able to complete the journey in four hours.

Paulo, who enjoys walking a few hours most days, will also have the support of his school, as fellow students and teachers will be waving Ukrainian flags to welcome him as he crosses the finish line.

Paulo will set off from the hotel at 10pm on Saturday 30 April and he intends to arrive in Malaga at around 2pm.

"I feel so incredibly proud of Paulo. He has come on so well and he is very motivated. He is now in a more positive frame of mind because we are helping these poor people," his father said.

People can sponsor Paulo via the Salvation Army Ukraine appeal: www.justgiving.com/campaign/TheSalvationArmyResponseinUkraine