02 09 2025 at 09:00
The Great Walk: Communitywork in Action
First of all, I’d like to thank the PMI Belgium Chapter for supporting us and including The Great Walk in their newsletter.
This summer, Homeless Entrepreneur achieved its biggest project ever: The Great Walk, a journey of over one million steps for more than one million homeless people in Europe. What made it truly extraordinary was the support of 11 PMI chapters worldwide, who shared their expertise, energy, and commitment to empower people made of potential.
About The Great Walk
Carrying our Great Walk flag, we crossed Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.
The project brought together volunteers, raised funds, and connected with new communities — both with and without housing. There were many unknowns, yet thanks to collaboration and project management discipline, challenges became opportunities and the project scaled beyond our expectations.
With Toby Plüss, Director of The Great Walk, we held weekly meetings in person and online, while coordinating seamlessly via WhatsApp, email, and Google Docs. The result: a scalable framework that can be replicated in future walks.
The Role of PMI Chapters
The support from PMI chapters was vital:
- PMI Switzerland brought ceaseless energy and leadership;
- PMI Romania provided omnipresent support;
- PMI Portugal thrilled us by joining for the first time;
- PMI Santiago, Chile and PMI Sidney, Australia embodied the spirit of Project Managers Without Borders as the first chapters outside the EU to back us;
- PMI Barcelona, Spain offered a strong framework for the second year in a row.
Along the way:
- PMI Germany welcomed us with traditional cuisine and project insights;
- With PMI Netherlands, we shared the stage with members at PSV Eindhoven stadium;
- On the August 15 public holiday, Toby walked from Antwerp to Brussels with Edi, a PMI Belgium board member, who also supported us during the Heat Aid Campaign in Brussels that weekend;
- On Friday, August 29, I closed the final 7 km with Toby and PMI Madrid members, before celebrating together with tapas.
Reflections from the Journey
As I sit on a high-speed train heading home with my family, I feel a bittersweet smile. The memories of this journey, full of effort, warmth, and solidarity, will stay with me forever.
Everyone talks about teamwork, but after this experience, I’ve coined a new word: communitywork.
The Great Walk showed how project management can unite people made of potential, empowering them to overcome homelessness and create lasting impact.
How You Can Support
The Great Walk is only the beginning. You can help us continue:
- Donate: support The Great Walk
- Volunteer: join Homeless Entrepreneur
- Provide network access: email me at funk@homelessentrepreneur.org or contact me on WhatsApp: +34 697 877 089.
A huge hug from the Homeless Entrepreneur community,
Andrew Funk
Founder of Homeless Entrepreneur
