A Vietnamese university student has completed a 150 kilometer run from Ho Chi Minh City to a national park in the southern province of Dong Nai to raise awareness of deforestation.

Phan Ba Lanh, a freshman from the Foreign Trade University in Ho Chi Minh City, has run 150 kilometers from the southern city to Nam Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai, to spread the message of ‘making the forest green again.’

Lanh dropped out of school when he was in 11^th grade and decided to leave his hometown for Hanoi.

At the age of 17, he was living by himself in the capital, surviving by cleaning dishes, serving tables, parking motorcycles and working at an Internet café.

“Working on the streets made me realize that many people have poor environmental awareness. With a different perspective on life, I decided to return home to finish high school and go to university,” Lanh said.

Following several outstanding environmental protection efforts during his time in university, Lanh began to plan his own projects, including the 150-kilometer-long journey which he named ‘son of the forest.’

His plan was sketched out for a long time, as Lanh physically prepared by running 10 kilometers on a daily basis. It also included the help of a partner, who would carry food, water, and other supplies by motorbike.

However, it took a long time for the young student to find a partner, as most of his friends kept refusing.

“I was frustrated at first. Going alone would be risky, and I would only be able to walk if I had to carry luggage with me,” Lanh stated.

“I was, however, determined that the journey had to be carried out no matter what. Once a quitter, always a quitter,” he said.

However, one of Lanh’s friends finally agreed to help him the day before his trip, with the pair only having one night to set out the specific schedule.

‘The trees gave me power’

In order to finish the journey in three days as planned, Lanh had to start at 4:00 am and complete 50 kilometers every day.

The run began with difficulty as the road out of the city was filled with traffic and exhaust fumes from vehicles.

Lanh took short breaks every five kilometers to refill himself with snacks and water.

“Sometimes I couldn’t rest because of the heat and the lack of shade in the city, which made my attempt even more meaningful,” the young student said.

“Though my feet were sore, swelling and starting to bleed on the last day, I tried to keep up with the schedule,” he continued.

As Lanh approached his destination, he was nearly worn out, and suffering from sun-stroke that forced him to take more rest.

“The pain made me want to give up. However, the green trees along the path gave me energy. I felt as if I could run for as long as I wanted,” Lanh said.

“I was overwhelmed with emotion the moment I crossed the ‘finish line.’ The journey has been a great motivation for my upcoming environmental protection projects,” he added.

Lanh shared his plan for another run aimed at raising awareness of preserving the environment, educating youths on green businesses, and gathering funds to grow six hectares of mangrove in the south-central province of Binh Dinh.

He will also continue preparing for a journey across the whole of Vietnam.    

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