Explorer Kingsley Holgate’s marvellous legacy continues, writes Lois Kuhle.
Although Amina’s adventures on the high seas are officially over, her mission is far from complete. She might look like a fish out of water, but she has more important things to do – like continue the legacy that Kingsley Holgate and his team set out on five years ago.
Amina is a traditional Arab sailing dhow, the Spirit of Adventure, which sailed a historic year-long humanitarian trade wind journey from Pemba in Mozambique to the Somali border, and back to Ilha da Mozambique in 2005. Along with a convoy of Land Rovers, she was used to distribute life saving mosquito nets and malaria education to pregnant mothers and children, successfully using the African Rainbow Expedition’s One Net One Life campaign to improve and save lives.
This grand old lady of the sea has been a lifesaving vehicle in another of the Holgate family’s determination to eradicate malaria in Africa.
Traditional
The traditional Swahili sailing dhow has been dismantled and brought to Ballito. The Mozambican crew who took the old girl apart has now lovingly restored the vessel and she’s been incorporated into the Mo-zam-bik Restaurant. The exhibition includes beautiful East Coast images, maps of the early trade wind sailing routes, video footage and a book that is in progress, providing the restaurant with a unique attraction.
It tells the story of the most exciting adventure ever undertaken in “Support of Malaria Prevention”, a disease that for every minute of every day and night kills two African babies. Mosquito nets distributed by the Spirit of Adventure team have no doubt saved many lives.
A million people die each year from this disease. A small percentage of your bill at Mo-zam-bik is donated to the One Net One Life Malaria Prevention Fund – it’s your way to make a difference!