Overland in the sun: London to Cape Town for SolarAid

SolarAid is excited to announce that this Sunday - 11 October 2009 - a team of adventurers will depart from London's Marble Arch, bound for Cape Town, South Africa.

Unlike most however, they won't be flying. Instead, the group will be driving the 18,000 miles. The OverlandintheSun team will drive through 18 countries in 10 months, aiming to raise an impressive £20,000 for SolarAid!

One third of the world's population has no access to electricity. Solar energy is often the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable solution. OverlandintheSun will be highlighting this.

Seeking to reduce the team's carbon footprints even further than that of avoiding everyday life in the UK for 10 months, the vehicle is partially powered by solar.

A Solar Vehicle
Up to 30% of an engine's power is used for equipment other than propelling the vehicle forward. The OverlandintheSun Landcruiser has 300 Watts of electricity-producing Solar Photovoltaic's (PV). This electricity will charge batteries that power the assisted steering and cooling fan. It will also power a kettle (all drinking water in Africa will need to be boiled) laptops, mobile phones, stereo, lights and a small fridge.

The vehicle that will be taking the team from London to Cape Town, via SolarAid's projects. The Toyota Landcruiser is fitted with solar PV to make it run more efficiently.

Gwyn Roberts - a long standing volunteer of SolarAid's - is leading the adventure. He will be accompanied by Ryan Sanderson-Smith and Shaun Lane. Gwyn has coupled this sense of adventure with a love of tinkering with solar technology and vehicles to create the 'OverlandintheSun' concept.

Leaving Europe by ferry to Tunisia, the team will then drive through Libya before travelling through Egypt. Christmas will be spent in Sudan, before crossing into the cooler highlands of Ethiopia. In the New Year the drive will take them into East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi), visiting all of SolarAid's projects on the way. The team will enter South Africa in July 2010 - just as all eyes will be focusing on the Football World Cup.

On their trip, the team will be highlighting how solar energy can enable people to use light for education, improve communication by powering radios and mobile phones and improve health by powering vaccine fridges, pumping water and reducing the risk of burns or inhalation of harmful fumes emitted by kerosene lanterns or candles.

If you're based in London, why not come along and wave the team off at Marble Arch on Sunday 11 October from midday onwards? The team will leave at 4pm.

Please support OverlandintheSun and SolarAid by sponsoring the team here: www.justgiving.com/overlandinthesun/

For more info, go to: www.OverlandintheSun.com
Follow the team on Facebook by clicking here