Story by Farai Gwaze
TWO United Kingdom-based Zimbabweans are behind an extraordinary 12 000 km overland drive from London to Harare aimed at raising funds and awareness for children with cerebral palsy, an inspiration drawn directly from one driver’s personal experience.
The story began with Alex Sakutukwa, who was prompted to launch the initiative after his daughter received a cerebral palsy diagnosis.
“The main reason for this initiative came from my daughter, who was born with cerebral palsy. My daughter decided that there are a lot of children born with cerebral palsy in Africa and suffering from the same thing she had. To bring awareness and to help those who are less privileged, we decided to do something extraordinary to try and raise funds to help more children in Zimbabwe, and that is where this trip came from,” he said.
His partner, Innocent Hananda, confirmed their journey’s progress while in Nigeria, having already traversed from London through Spain, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana from the 8th of June.
“We have covered quite a few countries now, and we are expecting to be in Zimbabwe in 2 weeks, and we are in Nigeria at the present moment. We have been through quite a lot of places, Spain, France, Morocco, Mauritania, Guinea, Senegal, Ghana, and we are still pushing through a few countries until we get to Zimbabwe,” he noted.
Despite mounting mileage and logistical hurdles at borders, the pair is determined to reach Harare by August 5. Their mission at once personal, ambitious, and deeply humanitarian is capturing attention and support along the way.
