Over the past 13 months, Simon Niggli of Switzerland and Christoph Obmascher of Austria have walked more than 7,000 km across 19 countries from Europe to Vietnam to visit two children they had been sponsoring though World Vision.

Along the way, they raised money for World Vision to be used for the benefit of needy Vietnamese children.

After his first visit to Vietnam in 1999, Mr Niggli contacted World Vision and started sponsoring a child in the Lang Chanh District and later, a second child, Le Xuan Khang.

Meanwhile, in 2014, Mr Obmascher began sponsoring Phang A Tua in the Tram Tau District of Thanh Hoa Province.

Mr Obmascher said both men quit their jobs and spent nearly two years preparing for their trip to European and Asian nations.

He said they began their journey in Switzerland last January and trekked across Europe until they reached China.

In wasn’t until late February when they finally reached Vietnam and met up with the children they had sponsored and World Vision officials and delivered the monies they had collected.

It has been a truly inspirational journey said Mr Obmascher, "We have seen so many beautiful places, met so many friendly people and experienced such great hospitality and warmth.”

“We have met so many people who live in difficult situations that have reached deep into their pockets to donate and that has really touched our hearts.”

“It seems many of the poorer people we met were the most generous.”

According to World Vision, more than 30,000 people and organizations from 14 countries around the globe have sponsored some 70,000 needy Vietnamese, whose assistance is deeply appreciated.