Kingsley Holgate is fully fuelled for the road
South African adventurer Kingsley Holgate's latest expedition, a world first circumnavigation overland through 33 African countries, set out from Cape Point on April 27 in support of the “One Net, One Life Campaign”, which saw the expedition team aiming to reach a million people with treated mosquito nets and educational information on the disease.
Kingsley Holgate (centre, with beard) and his team.
Engen Petroleum Tanzania, as one of the expedition's sponsors, donated 800 litres of diesel to cover the final leg of the journey from the southern Tanzanian coast to Maputo, before the crew headed back to South Africa.
The expedition team travelled with a Scroll of Peace and Goodwill, signed by Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu and former SA president Nelson Mandela. The scroll will be handed back to Nelson Mandela by Holgate upon their return to Cape Town.
The Tanzanian leg of the trip took place from 9-12 May with Kingsley, his family and his expedition team arriving in Bagaomoyo (a small town 60km north of Dar es Salaam) on Friday, May 9, 2008. Engen Petroleum Tanzania (EPT) sponsored all fuel for the expedition, whilst in Tanzania. Meanwhile, Gavin Zinn, EPT Retail Manager, and his wife joined the expedition to assist them with their distribution of 2,000 mosquito nets.
Holgate and his team educated mothers and children about correct usage of life-saving mosquito nets as a way of preventing the onset of malaria, which according to the World Health Organisation, affects more than 300 million people around the world annually and results in an estimated one million fatalities annually in Africa alone.
“We believe strongly in assisting wherever possible in benefiting the people of Africa. It is firmly in line with our aim of becoming a champion in Africa - not only in a business capacity, but also as a champion for the people of Africa. We hope that our small contribution will help not only this expedition, but the families in Africa struggling with the plight of malaria every day and even save a few lives,“ says Caleb Ayiku, MD of Engen Petroleum Tanzania.
National Geographic will be producing a 45-minute documentary of the expedition upon its completion.
