For what started as a charity event, it has turned out to be a great day for drivers out to play wits with mother nature and the best of 4x4 vehicles. This year's event marks 20 years since the Rhino Ark Foundation-founded to help raise funds for the building of an electric fence to help fence the area around the Aberdare National Park-organised th event. This was to help resolve the animal-human conflict which has occurred over the years due to encroachment into the Aberdare forest.
The basics of the event are a venue 200 km off the City of Nairobi where drivers have no clue until the day of the event. They are given pointers on which trail to follow using GPRS and any other means to find the shortest route to the ultimate point. Teams are required to have at least 3-7 personnel who will help along the way to help the car get to its destination, by pushing, pulling, raising or at times adding weight to make it through the treacherous course.
Last year the Foundation was able to raise around KShs.75 million (approx. US$ 1.15 million). This is quite tidy for any charity event worth its salt.
The main attraction comes around because most participants are prominent people and also local business magnates. Others also come from well-known families with corporate connections to be able to attract sponsorship to such an event.
They do bring along their families for such events making it one big play-day for one and all. It also has the added benefit of being out of the hustle and bustle of what has become a congested Nairobi. Huh, smell that fresh air .....
Go out guys, on the 1st of June, be patriotic but most of all be at the Rhino Charge when they do announce the venue on Saturday or Sunday morning.
2 comments:
These are extensions of the excesses of "British Royalty" and the hegemony of that empire "where the Sun never use to set!". It is the kind of bush tracking event where only colonialists of the Chaulmdely's ilk would relish. It has been said that one prominent leader of the so called "western" (read: civilized) states said that "Africa is good without the Africans"; hence this bush tracking nonsense is nothing more than yet another opportunity to get away from "the more urbanized Africa" with africans and return to the splendid Africa without africans...all in the name of a worthy cause; to as it were remenisce on the Good old days of British chivalry and gentility...
And perhaps, a few Africans will participate in this charade to as it were "spice things up" and leaving their "more civilized counterparts...the Lord Boswicks" to muse at how "apes are quick to learn".
And if you think this is a harsh critique, why do you think most of the "worthy causes" are directed towards saving the rhinos and forests...BECUASE THIS IS THE AFRICA WITHOUT THE AFRICANS! NOT TO FORGET THE WORDS OF A FAMOUS SONG..."MY LAND IS KENYA"...there was never a mention of people...
Well put Truths Hurts ! Guess that's why they call you that. I'd tried being subtle but there you are !
The other day a discussion came up about this and issues like CRS which companies try to initiate in the guise of helping local communities but it's just another sort of PR job.
Companies ought to be answerable to their shareholders,employees and customers not necessarily in that order.
Yeah and that bit about Africa being good without the Africans I feel you big ! What with all what we saw in Kenya a few months ago, what happened in Nigeria, Zims & now South Africa. Our former colonial masters pull the strings even while miles away from our lands. How else can you term a continent where you can't be allowed to cross the border (some artificial barrier) & yet try fight for unity ?
Please let's get back to sports....I become a bit emotional with our 'politics'!
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