Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Kommetjie pair bike 9 000km to raise smiles for Africa
TWO YOUNG men from Kommetjie are halfway through their motorcycle odyssey across Africa, raising funds for cleft palate surgeries.
Cassian Tulleken and Marcel Bovjin, both 24, have ridden all the way from home to Cameroon, and are about to cross the border into Nigeria. They’ve driven 9 000km so far on their journey to Croatia – but have only raised 21% of their fund-raising target.
They hope to collect enough money to pay for Operation Smile to perform 20 reconstructive surgeries for patients with cleft lip and palate conditions.
“Our aim is to raise R110000 to fund 20 smiles,” Tulleken said.
From a small village outside the capital of Cameroon, Bovjin had this to say about their adventures so far: “Central Africa has been a challenge neither of us could have expected, but we’ve kept our spirits high and our chins up. Our journey so far has been absolutely unbelievable. The support that we’ve received has blown me and Cass away, and really humbled us.”
The pair are appealing to the public to support their initiative, called The West Coast Wander, on the Given Gain crowdfunding platform.
“In as little as 45 minutes and for just R5 500, one child can receive truly life-changing reconstructive surgery,” Bovjin said.
The pair are currently waiting to board a ferry from Tiko, Cameroon, to Calabar, Nigeria, as they’ve been told it isn’t safe to cross the border by road.
“Cameroon is an incredibly beautiful country with landscapes that inspire adventure at every turn. It’s been a wet and at times white-knuckle ride through both the rolling jungly hills and the dusty chaotic cities,” they wrote on The West Coast Wander Instagram page.
“We are really looking forward to some down-time in Lagos as the past two weeks have been intense with loads of long days on the road and super-rough camping conditions.”
Once they reach Morocco, the African leg of their journey will be concluded and they’ll cross over into Europe for the final leg to Croatia.
They expect to be on the road for another six to eight weeks – barring any unforeseen obstacles, such as visa tangles and motorbike breakdowns.
Tulleken left his job to pursue this adventure. “The decision to quit my job sailing the seven seas and take on this incredible journey has been one of the best I’ve made and I’m sure this trip will be life-changing, to say the least,” he wrote at the start of the trip.
Operation Smile South Africa is a non-profit medical service organisation that has provided free cleft lip and palate reconstructive surgeries to children and adults around Africa since 2006.
Their medical volunteers have performed more than 6000 surgeries to date.
To support Tulleken and Bovjin in their fund-raising efforts, visit givengain.com/a/thewestcoastwander/