Practically 4 years in the past, on 1 January 2018, Youssef SahSah began biking. He left the nation of his start, Morocco, and rode down Africa’s western flank. Someday sooner or later, he’ll return alongside its shores, though he isn’t too certain when that can be. ‘I set off with none sponsors,’ Youssef says. ‘What I had with me was my bicycle, my garments, my meals, my restore kits, my tent, my digital gear. In reality, all the pieces I would want for my journey, I labored and saved for myself, together with the bit of money I had.’
Born within the Sahara Desert in Morocco, Youssef took practically three years to succeed in South Africa. He battled chilly, warmth, rain, mud, slashed tires, a damaged bicycle, yellow fever, malaria and a two-week sickness as a result of expired antibiotics.
Youssef has known as his journey Africa Dream. ‘It began years in the past once I was nonetheless a scholar, with the massive thought of biking solo round my residence continent. I needed to find, discover and expertise Africa in her most interesting type. I needed to satisfy her folks, find out about their cultures and traditions, reside with them, eat with them, discuss to them. Whereas making ready for my journey, I encountered many individuals in Morocco, together with family and friends, who laughed at my plans and thought it inconceivable to realize. I used to be the one one who believed in myself and that I might make my dream a actuality. This made me much more decided to comply with my dream and by no means quit, it doesn’t matter what.’
As a result of Covid, Youssef’s keep in South Africa stretched to eighteen months. He spent that point at a hostel in Johannesburg, working as a graphic artist and basic assistant in return for lodging. He kicked off the second a part of his journey in April. ‘For this a part of my journey, I used to be in a greater place than earlier than, utilizing my hard-learned classes to equip myself in the very best manner with what I’ll want and get rid of what I received’t want.
‘Over the past week of my journey by way of Botswana, I turned 30 years of age, my fourth birthday away from residence. After Botswana I explored the great thing about Zambia, the tiny Kingdom of Eswatini and am at present biking my manner up Mozambique, in direction of Malawi, my subsequent vacation spot on my Africa Dream journey. I’ve as well as began vlogging on my return journey to offer my followers a greater and extra intimate understanding and perception into my each day life on the highway.’
What motivates you to maintain going?
Earlier than I began my journey, I had a wishlist of issues in Africa I needed to discover, expertise and see for myself. This motivates me to get up on daily basis to comply with my desires, it doesn’t matter what challenges I would expertise. My greatest dream is to efficiently conquer and full the journey, however inside Africa Dream I’ve many smaller desires.
What’s the goal of your journey?
The primary objective of my journey was about me, to search out myself in Africa. To be taught, to develop as an individual, to problem and conquer myself. Whereas nonetheless in Morocco, I watched plenty of documentaries about Africa, which impressed me to expertise the identical. I needed to showcase the true Africa as a beautiful and unique continent, however by way of my eyes and thru the lens of my digicam. I believe it’s necessary to enterprise off the overwhelmed monitor and current totally different views and perceptions of Africa by way of the person on the road.
What have been the scariest moments?
Once I was in Niger, I unknowingly drank expired antibiotics to heal a reduce. This affected my liver, leading to a yellowed complexion and eyes. For 15 days I couldn’t transfer and was taken care of by the area people, whereas sleeping. I wasn’t frightened of dying; that for me is a standard and eventual factor to occur, however I didn’t wish to die then as a result of I nonetheless needed the chance to reside out my dream. As soon as I opened my eyes in the course of the evening, for some unusual motive, I felt very completely satisfied. I noticed the sky on the roof of my room and I used to be laughing, as a result of then I knew it could be alright to die whereas dwelling my dream, and I didn’t have to die with my family members beside me. This thought enlightened and empowered me to combat to get higher and to make my desires come true.
What have been the lowlights of your journey?
After it took me practically three years from Morocco to South Africa, I used to be making ready once more to begin my onward journey from South Africa to Cairo. Whereas within the closing phases of making ready my bicycle, that introduced me faithfully all the best way, I wakened one morning at 6am, put my bicycle within the backyard and went again to my room to fetch my baggage. Once I got here outdoors, I discovered my bicycle stolen. This was very onerous for me, as a result of my bicycle was a giant a part of my journey from Morocco to South Africa. Afterwards, this became one thing good. As a result of Covid-19, I used to be compelled to remain in Johannesburg for one more 12 months. That 12 months finally turned out to be nice and South Africa was the very best place I might have stayed throughout my journey. I realized rather a lot, I developed my English-speaking expertise, and I grew to become pals with plenty of various folks.
The place do you usually sleep?
I usually camp out for the evening within the wild and sleep in my tent, some place protected. Nonetheless, I at all times desire to sleep in a small village the place potential, even with three or 4 homes solely. This supplies me with the chance to additionally liaise with the native villagers or neighborhood, share and find out about their tradition, language, historical past and heritage while sharing conventional meals with them. By means of our interactive communications this in flip offers them the chance to see one other side or notion about white folks – that every one white folks don’t have cash or reside in massive homes or have a very powerful jobs. Generally, the place potential and being a Muslim, I’ll sleep in an area Mosque or perhaps a church. I met folks alongside the highway who invited me to sleep on their farms, and even recreation lodges.
Do you intend forward or simply attempt to see how far you may get on daily basis?
I don’t enable for my journey to have an finish date. My journey will finish as soon as I attain Cairo in Egypt. I don’t plan forward an excessive amount of. Once I enter every nation, I understand how lengthy my visa for that nation is. It may be one, two or a priceless three months. I analysis locations to bear in mind in every nation, some issues to discover and see. Generally, on daily basis I get up, pack my luggage, get my bicycle prepared, break up camp and put together breakfast. When completed, I pack up my final issues and begin my biking day. I’m not in any race to cycle or attain a sure variety of kilometres on daily basis. I wish to cycle sluggish. I cease and take images for my future documentary and ebook, cease to vlog or to fly my drone to seize unique footage. Principally I meet folks on daily basis who invite me for lunch. I additionally meet folks on the highway who cease me to speak about my journey. It is a regular biking day, so I chill out and don’t go quick. By the top of the day, I at all times handle between 80 and 130 kilometres.
What have the folks been like that you just’ve met?
I’ve met wealthy in addition to poor folks. However general, everybody has been very pleasant, variety and beneficiant. Each wealthy or poor folks assist me with what they’ve. Some folks see me as their son and likewise individuals are intrigued by what I do. Everybody, by way of his or her personal capabilities, tries to assist me with one thing – meals, a spot to sleep, even provide a small job for just a few days to earn just a little cash. I totally know that for me to achieve my Africa Dream journey, I can’t solely depend on myself, but in addition on the native communities and the folks I meet on the highway. With the assistance and help of those great folks, I can do rather a lot. My finest pal in South Africa taught me the phrase ‘Ubuntu’, that means I’m since you are. If we assist one another, all of us obtain rather a lot. I can actually say that there was just one incident the place my life was threatened, once I encountered some youths with knives. I stood my floor, which appeared to scare them, and so they finally ran off.
Any recommendation for folks desirous to do one thing comparable?
By no means let anybody let you know that something is inconceivable. Imagine in your self first, and after that you may present them the result of what you may have completed. In the long run, it’s all about exhibiting your self what you’re able to.
How do you fund your journey?
My journey just isn’t about cash, it’s about braveness. There’s lots of people with cash however they’ll do nothing with it as a result of they’re too scared to lose that cash. At first of my journey, nobody was ready to fund me as nobody believed that I might truly do it. I labored onerous, purchased all the pieces I assumed I would want with my very own cash (principally second hand) and managed to avoid wasting $1,000 to begin my journey with. My objective was clear – I might, the place potential, do odd jobs on the highway to assist myself. From the beginning I discovered that I acquired plenty of assist from all folks and communities within the type of just a little donation of cash, meals, shelter for the evening, even some gear. It’s not about cash, so long as there’s good folks we are able to discover all over the place in life, we may have their goodwill and might survive with little or no cash. When I’ve a problem and my bike that wants fixing, I method a bicycle store and usually that proprietor will gladly help me totally free. On the highway, throughout my journey, I fashioned formal partnerships with a businessman and a Moroccan tour-guide enterprise, sponsoring me with visa charges, much-needed bigger bicycle substitute elements, technical gear and different objects for me to achieve success on my journey. My sponsors consider in what I do and so they know that after my journey is over, collectively we’ll have equal success in collaborating on future initiatives collectively.
What are your future plans?
Desires are onerous to realize, however desires additionally convey plenty of new alternatives. Considered one of my rapid future plans is to beat the inhospitable, huge desert plains of the Danakil Melancholy, round 125m beneath sea degree and one of many hottest locations on earth, deep into the Afar area of northern Ethiopia. Inside these desert plains lies the almost-unreachable ‘gateway to hell’ or ‘smoking mountain’ Erta Ale. The volcano, with its two energetic lava lakes is without doubt one of the most original websites on earth. Once I attain this level in my journey it could be a dream come true and would proudly make me the primary Moroccan to ever stand on the sting of the Erta Ale volcano.
If you need to sponsor, donate or accomplice with Youssef on his Africa Dream journey, then please get in contact on his web site. He would recognize any type of assist to assist full his epic experience.
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