Take On Africa

You are browsing the archives of health.

The Welbodi Partnership
‘Welbodi’, meaning ‘health’ in Krio
In Sierra Leone, more than one in four children die before their fifth birthday, mainly from preventable illness or disease such as malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia or malnutrition.
The Welbodi Partnership is working at the Ola During Children’s Hospital along with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation with the aim of [...]

And finally….the final part of the journey, from No Man’s Land to Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.
Noises in the Night
Camped in No Man’s Land, I woke numerous times in the night to a rattling sound coming from underneath the tent, which seemed to come from the left of my head one moment and then further to [...]

This is the first of two updates about the journey from Labe in Guinea to Freetown in Sierra Leone. This part takes me as far as Kindia, where I had a short rest before continuing across the border.
Leaving Labe
We left Labe late in the afternoon having gorged on a cheap lunch of rice and a [...]

Day 1 – Slow start
Not even half a day in reality. By the time we’d had breakfast, packed our panniers, checked emails and then carried the bikes down the narrow stairs of the hotel it was nearing the end of the morning. We had decided to cycle the twenty-or-so kilometres to El Marsa port where [...]

For those who haven’t perhaps heard of the ‘Marathon des Sables’, it’s a gruelling 7-day race where the competitors effectively run a marathon every day for seven days, carrying all their supplies including water, across the Saharan desert. Why exactly anyone would enter this is quite a mystery to most. I mean, who in their [...]

An unexpected encounter
100km out of Chefchaouen and I’m happily trundling along on the bike, my thoughts intermittently interrupted by passing cars where the driver or passenger provides some form of encouragement; be it waving, cheering or enthusiastically beeping the horn. One Landrover overtakes, but pulls over just ahead of me and as I cycle past, [...]

One dedicated reader commented recently that I’ve not mentioned many troubles encountered. The simple reason for this is that, so far, I’ve not encountered many problems.
Well, nothing that has caused me any serious issues. Certainly nothing that’s made me think, ‘why exactly am I doing this?’ or ‘what I’d give right now to be back [...]

I cycle because I enjoy it. I cycle because it keeps me fit and healthy. I cycle because I can. I’m lucky.
A bike, for many people in Africa, is beyond their means however. On the other hand, a bike can be an invaluable, affordable and sustainable means of transport which can generate wealth.
Charities, like Re-Cycle [...]