A Journey to Juba

Dispatch Nº1: COUNTDOWN TO SOUTHERN SUDAN

There’s always a nervous feeling of anticipation as the United Against Malaria supported team prepare for another expedition departure.

Tents, supplies, first aid kit, letters of introduction for safe passage, a large inflatable boat and outboard motors, spare parts, extra tires, soccer balls, trophies and mosquito nets, passports health cards, extra fuel and water containers.

The convoy of Land Rovers will leave from Lesedi Cultural Village on Tuesday, 22^nd June. As part of the departure ceremony there will be a United Against Malaria football game between a Nandos invitation side and the Lesedi team, and a Cultural Festival. This will be attended by famous South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka who is also the Goodwill ambassador for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership.

We are expecting UAM’s David Kyne from New York to be in South Africa for the event. He loves a game of footie and has offered to play for the UAM invitation side.

It all promises to be another great expedition send off. We’ll keep you posted.

Dispatch Nº2: UNITED AGAINST MALARIA EXPEDITION SEND OFF STARTS WITH A FOOTBALL GAME

It’s a sunny winter afternoon at Lesedi Cultural Village in South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind, where to the sound of drums, marimbas and vuvuzelas, the Nandocas invitation side joined by United Against Malaria David Kyne from New York warm up to take on the Lesedi players in the 2011 UAM football challenge.

Dispatch Nº3: FAMOUS SOUTH AFRICAN SINGER YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA JUDGES THE UNITED AGAINST MALARIA CULTURAL FESTIVAL

By sunset, more guests, media, and sponsor partners arrive to celebrate the send off of another UAM expedition. Famous singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, David Kyne from UAM and Noel Doyle the CEO of Nandos are chosen to judge the UAM cultural festival. Theirs is a tough task. The traditional dancing is superb. The buttock shaking Pedi Mamas dressed in beautiful costumes take the best girls trophy. The drumming reaches a crescendo, the competition is fierce, but when Yvonne gets up to announce the best men’s team, you can hear a pin drop and then the occupants of great dance hut erupts with shouts, whistles and ululating as the Tswana team hold the UAM men’s dance team trophy high above their heads. In true expedition style, it all ends up as a late night as the expedition team swap expedition stories.

Tomorrow is the expedition send off.

Will keep you posted.

Dispatch Nº4: CELEBRATING THE SEND OFF TO JUBA IN THE SPIRIT OF AFRICA’S GREAT EXPLORERS

Hi fellow pilgrims of adventure. Our journey to Juba expedition to celebrate the birth of Africa’s newest country certainly kicked off with a jamboree reminiscent of the great age of African exploration.

Dispatch Nº5: UNITED AGAINST MALARIA BRACELETS ALONG THE WAY

We get this dispatch from Eugene le Roux who is the driver of the big Land Rover 130 defender – we call it the United Against Malaria “mother ship” – its task on expedition is to carry bales of life saving mosquito nets – This dispatch is best in Eugene’s words.

“We’re at a red light in Harare, Zimbabwe – and I hear shouting and hooting from a vehicle alongside. They have recognised the United Against Malaria logo and its circle of beads on our Land Rover. The driver sticks his wrist out of the window and points. He’s proud to be wearing a United Against Malaria beaded bracelet. It made my day!”

Will keep you posted.

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