Karim Kabore set off on his bicycle in Morocco in April 2022 and today he’s still on same trip.
In that time the 26-year-old from the Côte d’Ivoire has used pedal power to visit almost every country in Africa
“My aim is to pass on the message of environmental preservation and peace,” he told i, speaking over the phone from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia – the 42nd nation he has visited.
He was waiting for his visa to be processed before proceeding to Somalia, and will then continuing his journey through Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt and Libya and more.
“We need to find a solution to the pollution and environmental degradation that is happening across different countries on the continent,” Kabore explained.
“I believe my tour will positively influence people to put a stop to things like bushfires and the use of old motorcycles because these are also things that contribute to carbon dioxide build up.”
He was born and raised in a village called Bouafle Koudougou, almost 37 miles from Yamoussoukro, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire. In some ways, he has spent his life preparing for this challenge. Growing up, he was a keen sportsman, playing football with his peers. He did not pursue higher education, but is able to hold conversations in English, and French – his lingua franca.
As a cocoa farmer, he is an environmentalist at heart who believes Africa can be free from pollution and contribute to reducing the global carbon footprint. So he decided to take some time off from his usual work to embark on an ambitious journey to spread that message.
His ultimate goal is to reach every country in Africa while raising awareness about the effects of global warming and promoting sustainable living. He wants to inspire people to take care of the environment and make a difference in their own lives.
Kabore carries a sleeping bag, bottles of water – including one sugared for energy – spare tubes and spanners to fix the bicycle if something goes wrong.
What he has achieved seems nothing short of a miracle. On a tight budget, he has relied mostly on well-wishers to host him in their countries. Twice, he has been involved in accidents, including in Namibia and Mauritania when the light of an oncoming vehicle blinded him and forced him to swerve onto the pavement. Namibia is also the country where the protection of the environment and wild animals impressed him most.
“Anybody can do it as long as you prepare physically,” he said. “I believed in God and in myself. But Africa is also an animal place and I’ve encountered some including snakes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elephants mostly in southern Africa. But they didn’t give me much of a problem as they would go away after spotting me. But don’t fear anything otherwise you can’t do it.”
Growing numbers of people are following his journey through social media and cheering him on. He says this gives him hope and strength to carry on.
In October, after travelling through a region that includes South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia, he found himself in Malawi.
Then the 35th country he had visited on his bicycle, Malawi has struggled in recent years with extreme weather events wrought by climate change, a decline in natural resources, and a rapidly growing population.
“I love Malawi and its friendly people,” he said of the visit. “But that tells you how we are the same. If one country has a problem, then all of Africa has a problem. We should stop fighting, killing animals, destroying our environment and work together. I have made friends from all the countries that I have passed through.”
He wants to promote peace in Africa amid pockets of fighting. “I hope all these challenges will come to an end one day because of positive messages like the one that I am passing on,” he said.
Obtaining a visa to enter some of the countries has been a challenge and he believes that governments on the continent should work together to make travelling across Africa visa free. But the obstacles have not stopped him and even island nations like Madagascar, are likely to get a visit from Kabore and his “priceless and strong bicycle”. He will fly there first if he can get sponsorship for an air ticket. Seychelles and the Comoro Islands are also on the cards.
He attaches messages on environmental protection to his bicycle to catch people’s eyes when he is travelling, and prefers spending time in the villages so that he can share the same message. People are always eager to learn more of other nations he has been through, including his own.
“I was fascinated by Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, because every Sunday they encourage people not to take cars but travel on foot or cycle,” he said. “The protection of animals that I observed in Namibia and South Africa was also impressive and other nations should learn the same.”
He is also impressed with Ghana and South Africa for their bans on the importation of older cars to cut down on pollution and wants other to follow their example.
When Kabore has finished his journey he wants to write a book about it.
“People are eager to learn what is happening in countries other than their own and I think that’s the best place to start from,” he said.
“Whether you’re from Malawi, Ivory Coast [the former name for Côte d’Ivoire] or South Africa, we should all work together to address the common challenges.”