The Nile is pumping out of Lake Victoria at levels not seen in decades as the expedition team tumble out of the Defenders after weeks of humanitarian work and mud-and-rain adventure since leaving South Africa, swapping dirty, well-worn kit for swimming togs, life jackets, helmets and white-water rafts. Into the fast-flowing river, we go for an unforgettable adrenaline rush, riding the rapids with Nile River Explorers’ experienced team. Juma the leader shouting orders, paddles stabbing in unison at the wild white water, whooping, swooping, plenty of dunkings and total boat flips – it’s an exhilarating river journey down the Victoria Nile and an epic start of a new geographic objective for this Defender Transcontinental Expedition.
Our new (now expedition-hardened) Irish friends David, Aidan and Rayan get to experience one of Africa’s most thrilling adventures – a fitting ending to their father-and-son odyssey. We’d spent the day before at the HELP school in an impoverished community on the outskirts of Jinja, which the Kyne family have supported for years, not only sponsoring pupils right through to the end of their education but also helping to secure and improve the school’s premises and quality of teaching. They’d never met their adopted Ugandan sons and daughters before so it’s a very emotional moment as they come face-to-face, especially for 16yr-old Aidan, who’d even sold his toys as a young kid to raise funds for their education and has never stopped communicating and fundraising since then.
What a welcome from over 500 pupils! It’s a day of joy for the entire expedition team, filled with malaria prevention work with pregnant teachers and mums, energetic soccer games with much sought-after prizes of football club jerseys and balls brought by the lads all the way from Dublin (including for an all-girls team), introducing Elephant Art as a conservation lesson and the pupils are outstanding in their cultural dance and singing.
The children are fascinated by our expedition and Ross has great fun showing them how at night we open up the AluCab rooftop tents and go up a ladder to sleep. They’re equally amazed to learn that Shova Mike is doing the journey on a bicycle. “Give them flowers!“ shouts Joan Namusoke, the energetic and colourful headmistress, with which the children all pretend to sprinkle us with flowers. The good humour and laughter is heartwarming and we promise to adopt this school and their community for more malaria prevention and Rite to Sight work in the future.
We bid goodbye to a sunburnt, exhausted and happy Kyne trio whose time in Africa has come to an end; they fly back to Ireland with the beauty, colour, friendliness, diversity, wild spaces and adventure that only Africa can give firmly imprinted in their minds and hearts.
Adventuring in Africa is all about good friends and contacts, so it’s a big thanks from all of us to good mate and past expedition member Jon Dahl, his Nile River Explorers crew and a great bunch of friends who made us so very welcome at their Bujagali camp.
Ahead lies a whole new chapter for the expedition team: We need to complete our Ugandan adventure circle, which means two more Equator crossings before following the world’s longest and most historic river through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt to reach its delta on the Mediterranean at Alexandria, plus exploring far-flung regions we’ve never experienced before and plenty more humanitarian work. Will keep you posted.
PS: Friends – thanks for all your positive comments and sharing these stories with your own friends, which are scribbled in bits into a notebook then typed onto a cellphone between rainstorms, long bumpy days on the road, slow border crossings, humanitarian work and often late at night – then sent back to SA via WhatsApp with pics for posting onto Facebook. We read your comments when we find signal strong enough to connect to social media and enjoy them all. Sorry that we don’t reply often enough but please know that your support is deeply appreciated, makes us smile and ‘gives us wings’.
Salaams, Asante Sana, Siyabonga, Ashe Oleng and Thanks
Kingsley and the team.
Adapted from the Kingsley Holgate Foundation Defender Transcontinental page here: https://kingsleyholgate.com/articles/defender-transcontinental-expedition/ and Kingsley Holgate Foundation Facebook Page.
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Written by : Ronnie Kyazze
Founder and Chairman of the Land Rover Uganda Club, I bring a strong technical edge to my roles within rugby, contributing to the game's organisation, integrity, and growth. A qualified IT Professional and Road Safety Ambassador, I combine structure and precision with a passion for rugby, motorsport and travel. I’m driven by curiosity, always eager to explore, and a passionate writer at heart.
