OVERLANDI: THE COOPERS’ VISION

The Cooper family are combining their overland expedition with humanitarian work along the way.

“We are an adventure-loving family whose philosophy in life is ‘it’s nice to be nice’,” says Ivan. “We are combining these two passions by driving through South and East Africa to Europe and doing humanitarian projects along the way. Our focus is children’s health and education, made possible by sponsorship from both individuals and companies. Our goal is to teach our children the Swahili proverb ‘love has to be shown by deeds, not words’.

“We hope to teach our children that travel and exploration lead to a fuller life and a greater appreciation for different cultures and people. The world is a vast place, and while we may not be able to show them all of it, perhaps they will continue the journey together or on their own one day.

“Although we are excited to explore new places as a family, we want our kids to understand that the greater privilege is helping others. To that end, we will be participating in volunteer projects along the way and facilitating donations of shoes, eyeglasses, clean water solutions, and mosquito nets for kids in rural villages. Additionally, we hope to leave each community with some muchneeded medical supplies. Our goal is to do what we can, where we can, wherever we are, even if it means making it up as we go along. This is Africa, after all.”

To find out more about the Coopers’ trip, follow them at overlandi.com.