Expedition H2O, the epic two-man motorcycle charity expedition from Pretoria to Madrid, has despite facing many dangers safely reached the top of the African continent. They will be crossing from Tangiers in Marocco to Tarife in Spain by ferry before the end of the week.
The journey began on 16 September 2023 when two old friends from Pretoria University’s Sonop Residence, Dr Jean Cooper and Dr De Witt Oosthuizen, departed from Pretoria, embarking on a 16 000 km motorcycle journey along the West Coast of Africa to Madrid. The expedition is expected to conclude in the next week or two when the two friends will be shipping their bikes home and flying back to their families in time for Christmas.
Cooper is a world-renowned organisational psychologist, who is the Chief People and Culture Officer at fintech company Direct Transact, while Oosthuizen is an acclaimed emergency medicine doctor from Wangaratta in the Australian Outback.
20 countries through rain, mud, dust, sand and heat
The duo traversed about 20 African countries, through bustling cities and remote villages, muddy rivers, treacherous untarred and rain-drenched mountain passes, sandy desert roads, and fine orange dust that covered them from head to toe. They camped, were taken in by locals, stayed in small hotels and rooms, and took daily guidance from locals and fellow travellers all along the journey. They took their malaria medication every day and visited an Irish fellow traveller who was fighting malaria in his rented room in Western Sahara.
The journey was interspersed with menacing military checkpoints, stressful detours and delays to avoid the warzones of Mali and Guinea in West Africa, but the challenges were outweighed by countless instances of incredible hospitality and assistance from helpful strangers.
[Read all about their incredible adventures here on the Expedition blog]
“The greatest highlights of the journey so far were probably the mighty Congo River, the rain forests and the gorillas we saw crossing the road. The relief we felt when we survived the nightmarish ride across the mountains connecting Cameroon and Nigeria. The vast expanses of the Saraha. The incredible magnanimity of the people we met all along the way. And to see how much people can stack on a tiny 125cc motorcycle,” says Cooper.
“The final stretch of our journey is still taking shape, but our goal is to be home with our families for Christmas. We miss our families.”
A charity mission for water security
The journey is a charity mission for the benefit of the Direct Transact Foundation’s water relief initiatives for disadvantaged communities in the rural Free State. Cooper says he is proud of the progress the foundation’s team was making on the ground and they were looking forward to visiting the Free State soon to see the difference their fundraising had made.
The expedition’s ultimate mission is to raise funds for water tank installations in under-resourced communities in the Warden rural area of the Free State in South Africa. The duo are also raising awareness about water conservation and leadership through the photo stories, interviews, blogs and social media posts they are sharing all along the journey.
Sponsors and partners of Expedition H2O include The World Wide Fund for Nature, the Direct Transact Foundation, computing company Stratus, The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, Trax Moto Silver Lakes, JoJo Tanks, AQUAffection and its #surpluswater2025 campaign, Sithabile Technology, Vodacom, The V&A Waterfront, Roses Artisanal Delicacies, Classic Overland, Kudu Grills, African Charcoal Company, Canon and Outdoor Photo.
“Our goal is to raise R3.2m – R200 for each kilometre that we will be riding. This will cover our costs and install a further 100 tanks – enough to supply water to 4800 people! Every 3.5km (R700) gives access to water to one person. Every 14km (R2 800) to one family. And every 160km (R32 000) will sponsor one tank – enough for 12 families.”
To make their mission a success, Expedition H2O needs the public’s help. “We ask you to please support our mission on Back-a-buddy. We hope to exemplify the type of leadership needed to transform our continent’s water crisis – leadership that takes action and puts one foot in front of the other. We all need leadership that takes it back to basics, pragmatic and collaborative, that does not give up when things get tough or when government support is lacking – leadership that takes things forward in the spirit of ubuntu.”
The Ezenzeleni community outside Warden had no reliable access to running water until the Direct Transact Foundation got involved two years ago. Community leaders joined hands with the Direct Transact Foundation and today 45 JoJo rainwater tanks supply the community of Ezenzeleni, and 20 tanks supply water in neighbouring Tweeling, all together providing water to 3120 people. Fruit trees planted beside every tank also provide nourishment to the people of these communities. “We want to extend this campaign to more communities in the Warden area that are equally in need of help and who also have the will and drive to use this gift to help themselves,” says Cooper.
To contribute, please donate via Back-a-buddy, or make an EFT directly to The Direct Transact Foundation Trust, Standard Bank Account Nr 013358197, Branch Code 051001, using the reference “H2O”. Article 18A certificates will be issued to all donors upon request.
