After a lifetime of travel together with my family and Malaria Prevention Volunteers we recently completed an “All Afrika” odyssey to embrace every country on the continent.  – but as we all know Africa is not that easy and it delights in throwing the occasional curved ball – so there we were back home after an incredible journey only to find that after 30 years of war, Southern Sudan was about to secede from the North.

The Independence Day event to celebrate the birth of the world’s newest country was on the 09^th July. We called this historic expedition “A Journey to Juba”. 

It wasn’t an easy expedition, we has some security hassles, damaged an outboard gear box in the rapids, got malaria myself, had difficulties portaging around the dangerous Fula rapids and struggled with intense humidity and heat – So! Was it worthwhile? ABSOLUTELY! Not only were we able to do great Rite to Sight and United Against Malaria work, but were also able to experience the vibrant excitement of the birth of the newest nation on earth. It was also a personally emotive journey for us as a family knowing that getting to Juba meant embracing all of mainland “Mama Afrika” in our lifetime.

So comes the obvious question “What about the island states of Africa?” Well the good news is that in recognition of what we have achieved, the Seychelles Tourism Board is facilitating a journey to the islands, we are calling this last chapter “Seychelles – Saving the best till last”.

SPLA soldiers are amazed to see a group of crazies emptying a Zulu calabash of water into the Nile. We explained that in an act of symbolism we’d carried this water all the way from South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind. The expedition Landies cross the old metal bridge over the Nile and then swing south toward Uganda and home. The Journey to Juba expedition has been an incredible adventure, the Landies are lighter now, not just because the Captain Morgan’s been drunk the supplies eaten and I’ve shed a kg or 2 but mainly owing to the fact that we’ve left the big Gemini inflatable, nicknamed Lady Baker and the 2 Yamaha outboards behind in Juba. We’ll be back; there is still a stretch of Nile to complete between Juba and Khartoum. But that’s another adventure and for now there is a deep sense of satisfaction in having completed our Journey to Juba Expedition so allowing us to further embrace Mama Afrika. To all of you that have made these humanitarian expeditions possible we say - Siyabonga, Asante Sana and thanks – Till the next one.

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After a lifetime of travel together with my family and Malaria Prevention Volunteers we recently completed an “All Afrika” odyssey to embrace every country on the continent – but as we all know Africa is not that easy and it delights in throwing the occasional curved ball – so here we are back home after an incredible journey only to find that after 30 years of war, Southern Sudan is about to secede from the North.

The Independence Day event to celebrate the birth of the world’s newest country is on the 09th July and we need to be there for this historic event and to continue with more United Against Malaria work. Currently a baby dies every 45 seconds from the blood sucking bite from the anopheles mosquito.   WE NEED TO HELP!   We’re calling this historic expedition “A Journey to Juba”.   Sadly in Sudan, things are hotting up again with the border town of Abyei having just been taken by troops loyal to President Al Bashir of the Islamic North. Some predict that the war in the South could start again. “As on every journey the expedition will fill the symbolic calabash at the beginning and empty it at the end. As Always, they’ll carry a United Against Malaria Scroll of Peace and Goodwill in Support of Malaria Prevention”. There will be some interesting challenges ahead. We’ll keep you posted with dispatches from the Journey to Juba adventure diary.

Siyabonga and best wishes

Kingsley and the team 

Using adventure to improve lives

Breaking News: The  ‘Return Dash’ team meets up with the ‘All Afrika’ team

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An odyssey to complete every country in Africa

“With my  family and team, we’ve been privileged to have completed a number of  successful humanitarian expeditions to all but five of the 47 countries that  make up the continent of Mama Africa.
“Now the challenge is to make  adventure and malaria prevention history by completing the entire  continent.
“The odyssey is grandly called ‘All Afrika’ – but what it really  gives us, is the opportunity in our lifetime to embrace and connect with every  country in Mama Africa.
“Let’s see what the Zen of Travel has got in store  for us - Life’s a great adventure, isn’t it –
Cheers,  Kingsley”

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