A foursome from Adelaide have decided to ride their motorcycles across Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo, in a fundraising effort to save the Adelaide Hospital and assure the Adelaide community of medical services.
A foursome from Adelaide have decided to ride their motorcycles across Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo, in a fundraising effort to save the Adelaide Hospital and assure the Adelaide community of medical services.
The Adelaide community, including its surrounding districts, has a population of at least 30 000. Because it is more than 200km from the nearest regional hospital, it has to provide comprehensive medical services to the immediate and surrounding communities.
During the early 1950s, after the government of the day refused to build a hospital there, the Adelaide community entered into a deal with the government to build a hospital. Whereas the running of the hospital is subsidised, the community’s support and annual contributions are essential to cover the shortfall.
In addition, the hospital is in urgent need of an additional water-storage facility, at a cost of around R1.2 million. Under drought conditions, water for the hospital has to be pumped from the Fish River at Cookhouse, 52 km away and is also supplemented by a borehole in the town.
The hospital frequently experiences supply interruptions, because of the logistical difficulties of obtaining this water. Under these conditions, wards have had to be closed and patients turned away, with devastating consequences for the community.
Six months ago, a local businessman, Stelios Georgiou, mentioned to fellow resident Richard Bennett his idea of riding a motor bike from Cape to Cairo. When Rufus Dreyer and Norman Emslie joined the venture – which had by then become a project to raise funds for the hospital – the “Three Farmers and a Greek, Cape Town to Cairo Motorbike Adventure” was born.
In next to no time, all four had bought their Kawasaki KLR 650 motorcycles and had done a trial run through Baviaanskloof, across the Swartberg Pass, and down into the Gamkaskloof (Die Hell) and back to Adelaide. From Cape Town, the journey of 45 days will take them through Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, having secured a per kilometre sponsorship, to assure medical services to the Adelaide Community.
They have committed themselves to completing approximately 13 000km. The group will depart on 31 March 2011 and their progress can be followed on the Wild Dogs Adventure Forum, and their own blog.
We encourage you to follow their journey and to support them in their efforts to raise enough money to save the Adelaide Hospital. Anyone wishing to support this cause can contact Jan van der Westhuysen at 082 8534 906, e-mail: docjan@africareal.co.za, or Eric Wright, the superintendent of the Adelaide Hospital at 046 684 0006, e-mail: adelhosp@mweb.co.za
