07:00, 22 January 2025
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
Against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, three intrepid explorers trek onwards. Clad in an enormous amount of Smiley faces and brightly coloured clothing, we stand out like a sore thumb against the dark pine trees and glittering snow.
We journalists from Smiley News have once more put down our laptops and left the UK - this time to join someone perhaps even more passionate about charity than ourselves on a 150km walk from Zurich to Davos.
Andrew Funk is the founder and president of Homeless Entrepreneur - and has experienced homelessness himself. An American who lives in Barcelona, but travels all over the world for his mission, he draws on the countless connections he makes to inspire positive change
When we first meet up with Andrew, he slips on a steep hill and, for a brief second, part of me is concerned we might just have lost our story. Then, he pops back up, with a cheery grin and a wave - his enthusiasm is indestructible, and it all seems to come from how passionate he is about his mission.
At this point in his walk, Andrew has been without company for a full day, and he greets us with a huge hug and an infectious grin. How he has kept going in the snow all alone I don’t know. The landscape is beautiful, but there is something blinding about the snow - and I can imagine, when you are alone, that is mentally exhausting. In some places, the snow is up to my knees, and where there are paths, it is compact and treacherously icy.
“I experienced homelessness about 10 years ago, and I created Homeless Entrepreneur to empower people made of potential out of homelessness, like myself,” Andrew tells us as we head past Laret train station and further into the forest. “That's what we do around the world.”
Homeless Entrepreneur aims to promote economic empowerment and poverty reduction by helping those experiencing homelessness back into work and active citizenship. They have an incredible global community at their fingertips, and a whole bunch of programmes and projects designed to help those who are most vulnerable.
One of those projects is The Great Walk, named for reasons that will become clear imminently, and involves walking 150km across Switzerland from Zurich to Davos, where the World Economic Forum is currently taking place. The walk is completed in just five days.
“I created The Great Walk because I met a guy named Joe Roberts who walked across Canada to raise one million dollars for homelessness,” Andrew explains. “[It took] 18 months, and he did it with a shopping cart. I was like, ‘Well, I don't want to be homeless again, so I'm not gonna do that!’”
As we continue up the side of a mountain Andrew adds: “The ideal thing is to have six people on the team for the entire trip. One is a local guide and one is an investor - but it's hard to convince people to commit. Three people had to drop out [this year] because of health issues.”
I can understand why. Temperatures can fall under -10°C at night, and the ice and snow are deceptively dangerous. It’s not just about the cold, though - the trail carves through the sides of mountains, and down is as treacherous as up is exhausting.
“Doing this, you realise a kilometre is no longer just a kilometre,” he says with a wry grin, heaving breaths turning white in the cold air. “It’s about the elevation, too.”
Two years ago, I interviewed Andrew about Homeless Entrepreneur, and he told me all about his programmes and projects. In my mind, Homeless Entrepreneur boils down to the power of a community - and The Great Walk is no exception.
“The main aim for The Great Walk is to inspire other people. The more we inspire, the more action will take place, because it's not just about talking the talk or walking the walk - it's about [inspiring] better behavior in society.”
Along the 150km walk, Andrew has been plagued with offers of Ubers or taxis from well-meaning family and friends - which, he reminds us, totally defeats the point of the walk. He is determined to make it all the way on foot, even when three people drop out, and even when he has to walk on his own.
Between attempts to catch my breath, we quiz Andrew about the walk and his experience with such a transient journey through Switzerland.
“[On The Great Walk] you're walking by so much wealth - and so many people,” reflects Andrew. “The only reason people won't help you is because they don't know you. If you had just one friend, they'd be like ‘sleep in my pad’.”
He queries: “What's the cost of connectivity? What's the cost of friendship? And how do you make that happen?”
It is these connections that helped Andrew into a stable job and housing, and today keep the charity ticking over. He later confides in me that remembering so many names and faces can be ‘exhausting’ - but so worthwhile. There is value in every person - and Andrew gives back as much as he receives.
One of the programmes run by Homeless Entrepreneur is called Voices. It is simple, but effective - someone experiencing homelessness can send a 40-second video of themselves, explaining their story, their skills, and what they need - and the Homeless Entrepreneur community works its incredible magic.
Through the brilliance of community and connection, all around the world people are able to offer support, housing, food, work and more. Those in even the most desperate situation can come together and
Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world - and while that position has fluctuated over the last few years, mostly thanks to inflation, there’s no doubt it is up there. Thanks to its political stability, and strong banking industry, there is no shortage of wealth in and around the city.
On our trek, we pause on a helpfully placed bench for Andrew to have a break. I’m exhausted after doing what he has done for just a short while - he has been going for five days almost non-stop. To be fair, he has been training for this - at least, that’s what I remind myself.
Andrew checks his phone - he has a message from a friend checking in on how he is doing, and wondering if he has been abducted by aliens, or is just too exhausted to respond to his WhatsApp message. He affirms it’s the latter.
“Jokes are important,” he says. “When you’re on the street, there are a lot of jokes.”
I ask Andrew what has helped him to survive these last five days - other than his sense of humour.
“My daughter,” he admits, with a doting smile. “We have phone calls along the trip, we laugh so hard. Making my five-year-old daughter proud … that’s what’s most important.”
Andrew has had a wealth of support along his journey - phone calls, videos, voice notes, texts, pictures, all to lift his spirits and keep him going. 150km in the snow is tough, but it gives perspective - five days is nothing when compared to a lifetime.
“Each and every person that's called, that's donated, that's supported, gives me the strength to make it there,” Andrew says into our camera. “It's not easy, but with you all, it's easier - and it's not easy for the 150 million homeless people to get back on their feet, but with you, it's easier.”
I make it as far as Davos Wolfgang - around an hour and a half’s walk through the snow from Laret, at least, with the trail we take - before admitting I can’t go any further. It’s at least another two hours from Davos Wolfgang to Davos Platz - the home of the World Economic Forum, and of the UnforeSeen Variable, the sculpture Andrew will be unveiling the day after his arrival.
The UnforeSeen Variable is a sculpture created by Veronica de Nogales, an incredible artist whose heart is for social issues like homelessness. The sculpture features a man holding a book, with bare feet and hands, and a hole in his chest in the shape of a house.
The UnforeSeen Variable sits on the heart of the Promenade in Davos Platz, and later that day, we watch people walk by and stop over and over, entranced by the artwork. At first glance, the sculpture seems lonely - sad, but in that moment, looking closer, it is hope captured in his eyes.
Rather than taking the opportunity for a warm bath and bed, Andrew will be sleeping outside for five nights, on the snowy ground in front of the sculpture, to create even more awareness.
At the World Economic Forum, business leaders, politicians, heads of charities and diplomats walk past the UnforeSeen Variable, and so many stop and look on, taking from it what Andrew hopes they will - that their impact is crucial for change.
In Davos Wolfgang, Andrew takes my bowing out well, and tells me to do what I need to for my health and wellbeing. He is making a difference by walking 150km for 150,000,000 homeless people - and I hope we can inspire a fraction of his impact with 1500 words.
You can visit the UnforeSeen Variable on the Promenade by the Climate Hub in Davos. To learn more about Homeless Entrepreneur and the work that Andrew is doing, you can visit their website here.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
St Mungo’s. St Mungo's is a leading UK homelessness charity supporting over 3150 people every night. Help us end homelessness and rebuild lives. Support them here.
Centrepoint. This charity supports homeless young adults aged 16-25, and aims to end youth homelessness in the UK. Find out more here.
Emmaus. Emmaus is a UK-based charity and community working together to end homelessness. Learn more here.
