This week, the AFRICA EXPRESS Association takes us on a highly original tour of Africa… by train! Rest assured, a sustainable journey guaranteed! 🙂
AFRICA EXPRESS is a great adventure: a study mission covering some twenty sustainable energy projects across Africa, paired with a tour of the continent by train starting in Paris, via Tangier, Cape Town and finally Cairo. By the end of the mission, nearly 20,000 km will have been covered by train — a challenge still unmatched! Claire and Jérémy, who lead the mission and document the projects along the way, are kind enough to share their impressions, encounters, favourite moments, anecdotes and photos of all kinds, after 5 months on the road. Climb aboard this fascinating initiative…
Their account!
ES: Claire, Jérémy, why this project? What is the objective of Africa Express?
AE: The association’s current objective is to study and visit sustainable energy projects on the ground. Indeed, only 35% of the population has access to electricity on the African continent. Through this study, we want to promote a positive image of Africa through exemplary initiatives that already exist but that go largely unreported. We’ve already visited around fifteen projects since we set off. From rural electrification via solar systems to the development of a local biofuel supply chain, and soon a visit to a geothermal plant, the study is rich in hands-on fieldwork!
ES: Speaking of which, where are you now in the adventure?
AE: It’s now been 5 months since the Africa Express mission began. Having taken more than fifteen trains, travelled at the pace of the rails and multiplied our encounters, we’re now starting the journey back from South Africa to Egypt. We’re gradually leaving Southern Africa, a jewel of this continent and without doubt one of our favourites…
Stage 6 – Victoria Falls, Zambia – AFRICA EXPRESS – All photo rights reserved
ES: Southern Africa is one of our shared loves… any stage names that stood out to you?
AE: The magnificent Victoria Falls, the Namibian west coast, but also the Cape of Good Hope, where we celebrated the halfway point of the journey, as well as Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Not forgetting the incomparable journey on the Rovos Rail!
ES: It’s hard to imagine touring Africa by train… what’s it like travelling at the pace of the rails?
AE: Not all train journeys in Africa are alike, contrary to common belief. We’ve already experienced over-air-conditioned trains (Gabon, Namibia), trains as comfortable as those in France (Morocco, South Africa), unusual trains (Mauritania, South Africa), trains as overcrowded as they are warm and welcoming (Congo)… We still have the longest leg ahead of us, in Zambia and Tanzania aboard the Tazara: 1,800 kilometres, with a 1,400-metre change in altitude! And also the train that crosses a reserve in Kenya, among a few others before heading back to France…
ES: What makes train travel so special in your eyes, compared to other modes of transport?
AE: On the train, you can strike up conversations for hours about a country’s history, its railway, or build strong bonds by sharing everyday stories — to the point that it’s sometimes very hard to part ways once the train reaches its destination. I remember one day, on the train crossing the Congo, we met a man, talked with him, and as our conversation went on, he invited us to a family wedding taking place a few weeks later! Unfortunately, our schedule didn’t allow us to attend…
ES: A touching display of human generosity… hard to imagine that happening back home! We’d love to know more about the nature of the projects you’re visiting. Can you tell us about a sustainable energy initiative?
AE: The latest fascinating project we visited, not long ago in Botswana, involved discovering a franchise system operated by BPC Lesedi, whose mission is to expand access to electricity in rural areas. The technical solution deployed on the ground consists of an individual solar kit in different sizes depending on the customer’s needs. We then met the manager of a lodge (500 km from Gaborone), who was keen to explain why she herself had sought to replace her generator with a solar system installed in every room as well as in every common area (bar, restaurant). It was a fascinating exchange, and it made us realise that economic reasons often outweigh ecological ones. Indeed, fuel consumption for a generator is enormous for a business such as running a lodge, and it puts a real strain on the budget. The solar system comfortably meets her needs.
Ecolodge in Botswana – AFRICA EXPRESS – All photo rights reserved
ES: How do you see the future for Africa Express?
AE: Still 3 more months of projects, encounters and trains, of course, heading towards East Africa! At the end of this incredible adventure, we’ll share our work through a White Paper of best practices, due out in the first half of 2013, which will be freely downloadable from our website, http://africaexpress.org/
A documentary will complete the project, showcasing the adventure as a whole.”
Thank you to Claire and Jérémy for sharing their story, and best of luck to AFRICA EXPRESS!! 🙂
2012, “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All”
Africa Express is a tour of Africa’s energies in 2012. Its action is part of the United Nations Environment Programme.
Follow the Africa Express mission along the rails on its blog, http://africaexpress.org/blog.html or support the association directly on the website http://africaexpress.org/
