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Cape to London AIDS Awareness Campaign

In September 2002, the CLAAC plans to leave Cape Town for London with the sole aim of spreading AIDS Awareness across the length of the African continent.

PROFILES:

Brett Adam Sargent (36):

Brett has been an overland expedition leader for the past ten years, during which time he has travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America.

As a qualified leader, he has all the necessary mechanical and administrative skills to facilitate border crossings and cross-cultural communication.

Marc-Anthony Wilkinson (25):

Marc matriculated from St David’s Marist College, Inanda, Johannesburg in 1995. After obtaining a Diploma in Hotel Management through Hospitality Resources South Africa, he completed an Honours Degree in Hospitality with Tourism Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. As a keen sportsman, he has shown not only exceptional leadership and team-building skills but the perseverance that will see him through the most demanding of challenges.

Nicole Wilkinson (22):

Nicole matriculated from St Stithians Collegiate, Randburg, Johannesburg in 1997. Since finishing school, she has spent every Summer travelling and working in locations such as Peru, Japan, Malaysia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. Her anthropological spirit has taken her into the field of International Relations and before commencing this campaign, she will have completed her Master degree in International Relations at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, specialising in conflict management and areas of international terrorism and security.

Pierre James Wilkinson (19):

As the youngest member of the team, he intends to use this productive year towards building on his existing skills and accomplishments accumulated in the course of obtaining his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. Having just finished his A-levels and a successful school career as an active contributor to both cultural and sport life (captain U16 cricket and First XV rugby) he will take up an offer at Oxford Brookes where he will study architecture. His sense of humour and excellent cross-cultural communication skills will make a positive contribution to the team.

PROPOSED ROUTE: (+- 65,000 kms)

1. South Africa to Zambia (through Namibia and Botswana)

Cape Point – Simons Town – Cederberg – Springbok

Fish River Canyon – Kolmanskop – Luderitz – Sossusvlei – Sesriem Canyon – Swakopmund – Spitzkoppe – Twyfelfontein – Windhoek – Mamuno – Maun – Kasane – Livingstone – Lusaka

2. Zambia to Kenya (through Malawi and Tanzania)

Chipata – Lilongwe – Nkhotakota – Nkhata Bay – Mzuzu – Karonga – Mbeya – Iringa – Dar es Salaam – Lushoto – Speke Bay – Arusha – Musoma – Nairobi – Nakuru – Kisumu – Nairobi

(Optional: Cameroon – Nigeria – Benin – Togo – to Ghana)

3. Ghana to Senegal (through Burkina Faso and Mali)

Accra – Kumasi – Tamale – Bolgstanga – Ouagadougou – Bobo-Dioulasso – Bandiagara – Djenne – Bamako – Kayes – Naye – Keolack – Dakar

4. Senegal to Morocco

Saint-Louis – Nouakchott – Sahara Desert Crossing – Noaudhibou – Dakhla – Essaouira – Marrakech – Todra Gorge – Zeido – Fez – Volubilis – Sale – Rabat

5. Morocco to United Kingdom (through Spain and France)

Gibraltar – Malaga – Madrid – Salamanca – Bordeaux – Limoges – Orleans – Lille – Dunkerque – Dover - London

HIV/AIDS in AFRICA

The continent of Africa is afflicted by wars, famine, droughts and floods, but with an estimated 28.1 million adults and children living with HIV/AIDS, its social and economic consequences are for the most part far more devastating. Indeed, in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV is now deadlier than war itself and as of the year 2000, 70%of the adults and 80%of the children, that is nine in every ten living with HIV globally, live in Africa.

These facts, together with widespread ignorance about the virus, how it is transmitted and how it can be avoided, are only on the increase due to the fact that in many African countries there is still a complete denial of the problem at ever level of society.

CAMPAIGN MOTIVATION

Our principle objective is to raise awareness.

Confronted with one of Africa’s biggest challenges, we intend to spend roughly nine months, from September 2002-May 2003, driving from Cape Town to London promoting awareness of the transmission of the virus and of the importance of it in any way we possibly can, by reaching as many people in as many communities as we possibly can along the way, by distributing material, publicising the campaign in magazines, newspapers, on websites and radio broadcasts.

THE CAMPAIGN

We will set off from Cape Town in two vehicles, and embark on a campaign that will take us through South Africa to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, from where we will transport the two vehicles to Accra, Ghana and continue along the West Coast of Africa to Morocco, into mainland Europe and back to London. We are dedicating a year of our lives to embark on this campaign, along the most viable route across the African continent, for we believe that if providing information about the enormity of this pandemic is one of the first steps in preventing its spread, then we are ready and willing to take this as our challenge!