Kwame Peprah, one of the twelve members of the Ghanaian crew that successfully drove from Ghana to the United Kingdom, has said that the trip was “fantastic”.
On August 7, the Ghanaian described how the team traveled from Ghana through other numerous nations to get to their destination. He claimed that although they had only arrived in Kent City yesterday, Ghanaians had already shown them a lot of affection and had given them a warm welcome.
“The start point was from our project site; a residential property unit around 9:30 pm from Oyarifa, through Aburi and then Kumasi and then Sunyani and then the rest. So, we did about 10, 300 km to Kent. We exited Ghana from Gonokrom in the Brong Ahafo Region into Ivory Coast, through to Mali. And then we went to Senegal, we went through Mauritania, through Morocco and entered Europe from Spain.
“From Spain, we went through Italy, France, and then Monacco. And then we finally entered into Kent, where the Ghanaian community hosted us for our first night. And we are still here. As for why we are here, we never felt like this was by mistake. We always knew the purpose of the journey and we were excited. The difficulties we faced were on crossing the borders.”
Kwame Peprah
When asked about the most frightening element of the trip, Mr. Kwame Peprah said that sometimes Africans can be antagonistic toward other Africans and because of that, they ran into some problems while crossing the borders, just because they were Africans.
Furthermore, he asserted that the group was exhausted and that some of the drivers practically fell asleep behind the wheels, adding that while there are highs and lows, the experience does not come easily. However, they would want to make some of the points they are attempting to make clear, as they go along.
Mr. Peprah was questioned about the team’s decision to drive, rather than just take a plane from Accra to London. He responded that driving to London was more difficult and that flying over London was nothing new because everyone did it frequently.
“As Kwabena Peprah; my brother will say, ‘why not? Let’s try it, what’s the worst that could happen? We turn back or whatever can come, can come.’ Along the line, this could help us shed the light on some things and certain discussions. And we chose to support rural digitization and so he said, ‘let’s do it’.
“We set off one Saturday morning and whatever was going to happen, we were ready for it. The worst that could happen was that we would return. The journey started two weeks ago on Saturday the 22nd July and today marks 17 days.”
Kwame Peprah
What’s more, he said during this tour, he learned that Africans lived on a stunning continent and that the populace did not value what God had given them. He claimed that it was just a fact of life and expressed surprise that Africans were not properly assimilated.
On top of that, he revealed that despite the fact that it would have been ideal for the team’s journey to be quicker, the team chose against traveling through countries like Burkina Faso and Mali because they were active conflict zones. “We had to skip such countries, since attacks could be coming from anywhere”, he opined.
Government Officials Attempted To Discourage Us
Saka, a member of the 12-person team, also recalled an instance in which a government official tried to discourage them from going on the trip.
After the voyage, Saka reported their experiences from their current position in London. He described encountering doubt and discouragement from a variety of people, including individuals who did not share their enthusiasm. Without revealing their identity, he mentioned that one of these doubters was a government official.
This person, according to Saka, questioned their choice to travel by road, rather than choosing a more expedient air route, claiming that flying would have been a more appropriate alternative. Saka made it clear that they had just requested polite facilitation at border crossings and not cash aid. He shared his opinion that despite the initial skepticism, their feat had attracted attention, and even the original critics were now showing support for them on social media.
Saka talked on the important lessons he had gained from the experience and urged those who might be inspired by it to keep working toward their own goals. He emphasized the value of having faith in one’s goals and resisting the influence of outside forces.
Saka concluded by saying that the experience had confirmed the notion that persistently pursuing one’s goals in the face of doubt, might result in extraordinary accomplishments.
The team left on July 22, 2023, and arrived in London on August 6, 2023, capping out their record 10,000-kilometer excursion.
