Gutsy Galloway to cycle 4000 km to raise environmental awareness across the country
Through his ‘7 Rivers Journey of Discovery’ initiative, prominent corporate and tourism public figure, Steve Galloway, hopes to initiate dialogue with communities along Namibia’s seven perennial rivers to identify and assess where corporate Namibia can improve environmental sustainability.
In a bid to promote E-powering and environmental awareness on his local-assembled SunCycles e-bike, Galloway will paddle 4000 kilometre from the Orange River, proceeding upcountry to the northern reaches of Namibia, from where he will traverse the area bordering the Kunene River and end in the far north-eastern corner on the Zambezi River.
An important part of the journey is to celebrate Namibia’s role as a custodian of the environment, as enshrined in its constitution.
Galloway, who is a well-known figure in the banking and mining sectors, and now chairperson of Gondwana Collection Namibia, said that even though Namibia is a dry country, the rivers are the lifeblood of many people who live along them, and are important for tourism and wildlife, including the shared cross-border ecosystem.
The area Galloway once wished to travel through is the Dorob National Park, one of the largest parks in the world, consolidating all the other parks on Namibia’s western front from the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park to the Iona National Park in Angola.
Furthermore, a focus of the trip is e-powering or e-nablement, as Galloway’s bike illustrates, to show what e-mobility can do and to encourage a bike culture in Namibia.
As such, Galloway will be highlighting the importance of both e-mobility and e-connectivity to ultimately empower rural communities.
Sponsors already include the Community Conservation Fund, RMB, FirstRand Namibia, Pupkewitz, Wilderness Safaris and B2Gold. Gondwana Collection stated that it will be hosting Galloway at their lodges along his route.
Meanwhile those who want to assist are urged to direct all support in the form of donations for the e-hubs, including bicycles, charging stations, tablets and cell phones, etc. to the Gondwana Care Trust.
Caption: Day 1 of the journey: Steve Galloway crossing the Fish River. A schedule of Galloway’s destinations will be made available for all those wishing to join him on the various legs of his journey. The 7-Rivers E-powering Journey of Discovery can be followed on Gondwana’s Facebook Page and WhatsApp group.
