Cycling across Africa for Camfed

Intrepid cyclists Eric Shambion and Amaya Williams have just arrived on the southern-most tip of South Africa after pedalling 30,000 kilometres from Cairo to Cape Town to raise money for Camfed. “It’s been physically draining,” says Amaya, who has cycled through 29 countries in the past 17 months. “I have had malaria twice and Eric broke his collarbone. Many times we wanted to give up and throw in the towel. But so many people were supporting us and watching our progress – and that’s what kept us going.”

The adventurous couple have raised more than $3,000 to support Camfed’s work in Africa – a cause that helped to inspire their sometime gruelling progress along the dusty tracks and mountain passes of Africa.

So why did they choose to support Camfed?

“We wanted to give something back to the people of Africa because they people of Africa have been so good to us,” explains Amaya.

“I did a lot of research into different charities and I was very impressed that Camfed had so few staff and very low overheads. I also like the fact that it was founded by someone who really knew what they were talking about, who had spent time in Africa. And they work with local staff rather than flying in expatriates. It’s a very simple idea to support girls through school – but it’s so effective!”

During their cycling epic, Eric and Amaya have passed through all of the countries where Camfed works - Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Over the past year and a half, the pair has seen first hand how important it is to send girls to school.

“I have never met anyone in Africa who hasn’t said that education isn’t a way out of poverty for their child,” says Amaya.

“The biggest complaint we have heard is school fees. People just can’t afford to send their children to school. It’s heart breaking. Yet in countries like Ghana, where the level of education is higher than many other countries we visited, you can really see the difference. There is a sense of hope.”

You might think that Eric and Amaya might stop cycling and have a rest after 17 months on the road – but Eric and Amaya are now considering whether to cycle back north through some of the African countries they missed the first time around - and stop off in the Middle East along the way!

Follow Eric and Amaya’s adventures on their website.

Sponsor Eric and Amaya at firstgiving - 100% of your donation will go to support girls’ education in Africa