South African adventure enthusiasts, Warrick and Camilla Kernes and Gareth Pickering will be cycling Qhubeka buffalo bicycles from Johannesburg, South Africa to Moshi, Tanzania covering 4630km over a 10 week period.
Setting off on July 30th, the trio plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro once they reach Moshi in Tanzania. The goal is to raise R100 000 for the Qhubeka charity, which delivers specially designed, locally assembled bicycles to people in need.
Most of Africa’s rural population has no access to transport and people have to walk long distances to access opportunity, education, healthcare, shops and community services. Rural schoolchildren are particularly badly affected by lack of mobility.
“Qhubeka is an Nguni word that means to carry on, to progress, or to move forward”
Qhubeka is World Bicycle Relief’s programme in South Africa. World Bicycle Relief is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing education, health and economic opportunities by providing simple, sustainable transportation. Since World Bicycle Relief’s founding in 2005, it has delivered more than 250,000 specially designed, locally assembled bicycles to people in need.
Qhubeka helps people move forward and progress by giving bicycles in return for work done to improve communities, the environment or academic results. Having a bicycle changes lives by increasing the distance people can travel, what they can carry, where they can go and how fast they can get there.
To date the team have raised R96,620 for the charity and are on their way to far surpassing their initial target of R100 000. With hopes to ensure that more deserving people receive the aid they need.
“Taking this journey had always been a dream of ours, now this dream has grown bigger than we ever imagined it would,” said Camilla.
“This 10-week journey will not be an easy one. Warrick has methodically planned every route and stop they will take while being followed by a sports vehicle.”
“We have had to make sure that we keep to regulations of all the countries we will ride through.” Their ride will see them cycle through Botswana, Zambia and Malawi leading into Tanzania.
The route takes them from Johannesburg Northwards into Botswana where they will travel up the Eastern side of the country and cross into Zambia at Kasane border.
We’ll cycle to Livingstone at Victoria Falls and have a few days of recovery and to replenish our supplies before carrying on towards Lusaka and Eastwards into Malawi.
The capital of Malawi, Lilongwe, will be another multi-day stop to replenish before they ride up the Western side of Lake Malawi and cross into Tanzania.
Once in Tanzania we’ll head straight up the center of the country up to Arusha and finally Moshi where we’ll exchange our cycling shoes for hiking boots and begin our summit attempt of Mount Kilimanjaro.
To follow their amazing journey, click here.
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