This July, two members of the ASSIST Sheffield community will take on an endurance challenge to honour the life and legacy of Dr Pious Nyandoro, while raising vital funds for the organisations and communities he helped build.
From 28 July to 1 August, Eve and Jake will walk 130 miles across the Peak District – five marathons in five days – climbing more than 5,000 metres (the equivalent of climbing Ben Nevis nearly four times)! Together, they aim to raise £12,000 to replenish the community funds that ASSIST Sheffield used to cover the costs of his repatriation, support the future of Voice of Voiceless Immigration Detainees Yorkshire (VVIDY), the organisation he co-founded, and commission a community mural in his memory.
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Honouring Pious' Legacy
Pious was a lifelong community organiser, activist, academic, Co-Founder of VVIDY, Co-Chair of ASSIST Sheffield's Board of Trustees and, above all, a much-loved father and friend.
Pious spent two decades seeking asylum in the UK, living under the uncertainty and hardship created by the UK's Hostile Environment immigration policies. Following a mental health crisis, he took his own life on 10 August 2024, leaving behind a community determined to pay tribute to both his life and his lifelong commitment to justice.
In the weeks and months following his death, supporters across Sheffield and beyond responded with incredible generosity, donating to emergency appeals launched by ASSIST Sheffield, VVIDY and the Racial Justice Network (RJN). Those donations ensured Pious could be laid to rest with dignity.
This new fundraising challenge seeks to complete that work by replenishing the funds used for his repatriation while investing in the organisations and communities that continue his legacy.
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A Walk of Solidarity
The 130-mile route has been chosen with deep significance. It reflects the distance Pious was carried from Sheffield to his UK memorial service before his repatriation to his home in Zimbabwe.
Beginning and ending in Sheffield, Pious' UK home, the route forms a continuous heart-shaped loop through the Peak District. The heart has become a powerful symbol of welcome, sanctuary and solidarity with people seeking safety. Through this challenge, Eve and Jake are walking to honour Pious' memory, make visible the violence created by borders and the Hostile Environment, and call for a world where movement is a right, not a privilege. Every mile is a refusal to accept injustice. Every step is an act of solidarity.
The walk is about far more than physical endurance. It is an act of remembrance, solidarity and collective resistance, creating space for conversation about the realities faced by people seeking sanctuary in the UK and the impact of immigration policies on people's lives and mental health.
Pious was an inspiration whose life exemplified resilience and a steadfast commitment to justice. However, his death was the encapsulation of the devastating and cruel consequences of the Hostile Environment policies. Pious’ story sadly reflects the experiences of countless people seeking asylum and safety, who continue to endure systems of harm and persecution. So I'm not just walking in memory of Pious. I walk as an act of solidarity with all those seeking sanctuary, and a call for a world where everyone can live with dignity and the freedom to move. - Jake
Thank You for Your Support
The response so far has been inspiring. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, the campaign has already raised over £3,100 towards its £12,000 target, including a generous £1,000 donation from the National Education Union.
Every donation, message of encouragement, social media share and offer to walk alongside Eve and Jake helps carry this challenge forward.
If you would like to support the challenge, you can:
- Donate to help reach the £12,000 fundraising target.
- Join Eve and Jake for part of the walk, whether that's a few miles or a full day. Contact Eve to find out more.
- Share the fundraiser with your friends, family and networks to help spread the word.
Together, we can commemorate Pious' memory, strengthen the organisations he championed, and continue the work he dedicated his life to.
Honesty is often uncomfortable, but it is the highest form of respect." — Dr Pious Nyandoro
This challenge has been made possible through the collective efforts of ASSIST Sheffield, VVIDY, Sheffield Solidarity Sessions and the RJN, whose partnership reflects the communities Pious spent his life bringing together.
We are also incredibly grateful to the many organisations standing alongside this challenge, including Migrants Organise, ENT, Homelessness Abolitionists, Right to Remain, Sheffield Rise, Solidarity Knows No Borders, South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice (SYRLJ), and People's Internationalist Fora for Inter-Community Lifelong Learning.
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