THE EAST AFRICAN BICYCLE TOUR 2018 (TOUR D` EAC)
A message from the organizers
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The East African bicycle tour is an expression of unity, oneness, togetherness, and peace. By riding through all the East African countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda), we renew and strengthen the ties that bind East African together. This is what our fore fathers, Nyerere, Obote and Kenyatta wanted to see. This event is not about Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda or Burundi, it’s a generational report of change. This event welcomes every East African from whatever part of the region and yes our agreement as a group will grow to embrace the whole Region standing as one block.
In August of every year, Campfire Logs Guild organizes and manages a cycling expedition that starts from one country and goes through all the East African member states.
The 2016 theme: “Fostering the integration by unlocking the potential of the East African community”. The team of both cyclists and service personnel from all the East African member states rode bicycles approx. 100km every day, meeting and interacting with different communities along the way, sensitizing and creating awareness of the benefits of the East African Community. There are several activities we do to support and emphasize the theme. We are very positive that this creates understanding of East African Community conception to all citizens of East Africa.
Vision:
To be the most impactful bicycle event in East Africa. Where one can discover, engage and experience bike rides, bike art, bike tech, bike jobs, bike trends and moral! We love bikes and we want everyone to enjoy it.
Our mission:
To connect everyone on two wheels to the east African community. If you have a bicycle and are in East Africa or anywhere in the world, come and experience life on two wheels with us.
OBJECTIVES OF THE EVENT
1. Raise awareness and support for the East African Community.
2. Celebrating your/our achievements as citizens of the East African community.
3. Increase sociability and enhance our relationship as citizens of East Africa with all the development partners.
4. Raise awareness for safe environment while promoting a healthy and active professional lifestyle.
5. Promote tourism within East African Community.
6. And being part of a greater History made in association with your Brand.
THEME TOUR D`EAC 2018
The 2018 45-day, 6000km bicycle ride is themed “Food security, safe environment and livelihood for sustainable development in East Africa.
RATIONALE FOR THE THEME
Following the very first Tour D’EAC 2016 and Tour D EAC 2017, we realized that the entire region was blessed with many natural resources, tourism attractions – diverse cultures, nature, recreation and the warmth resilience of the hardworking people – all of which help to attract sustainable development if managed effectively and efficiently, agriculture being the back born of East Africa, its eminent that environmental conservation should be emphasized to combat climate change in order to ensure food security, Hence, a safe environment and food security have the Greatest potential to develop EAC.
THE ORGANIZERS:
The 2018 East African Bicycle Tour is organized by Campfire Logs Guild in partnership with MASHA ADVENTURESPORTS LLC a Rwandan based Adventure Company based in Kigali Rwanda in partnership with FIDELI Rwanda Advertising, an Advertising company based in Kigali Rwanda.
Campfire Logs Guild is an Initiative of idealized young East Africans with diverse adventure background committed to the development of young people through Adventure Learning/training programs. We began our journey in 2011 as active scouts. Since then we have worked with over 300 young people, students and corporate clients throughout East Africa. A large number of these are still with us since our inception. We now provide adventure based outdoor programs under contract for individuals, families, government institutions, schools, churches, organizations and corporate companies. We work with groups of 2 to 100 people. Programs range in duration from 1 to 30 days. We run programs locally and internationally at the various locations with participants experiencing forests, rivers, caves, lakes, cliffs, mountains and villages.
Successes to date
• Campfire Logs Guild is known for record breaking in Uganda, (in 2011 while in active scouting, members of Campfire Logs Guild organized a cycling expedition and a team of 12 young men rode bicycles from Uganda to attend the 22nd World Scout Jamboree at Rinkaby in Sweden, The theme was Peace and safe environment for all and event was sponsored by KCB Bank and the Italian Scouts.
• Campfire Logs Guild in 2015 successfully organized a hiking expedition and a group of 56 young men and women walked over 350km in 10 days in commemoration of 100 years of scouting in Uganda. The event was sponsored by: Urban TV, Angeo Expression, Trees for the Future and Uganda Wildlife Education (UWEC)
• Campfire Logs Guild in 2016 successfully organized a cycling Expedition to create awareness of the East African Community integration process branded as Tour de EAC. The expedition lasted 31 days and covered all the 5 East African Member States.
• Campfire logs Guild has successfully completed the 45day, 6000km, 2nd East African Bicycle Tour which saw 48 east Africans participate.
TOUR D`EAC 2018
The 3rd East African Community Bicycle Tour (Tour d`EAC 2018), will feature cyclists from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa, Denmark, Netherlands and Canada. This event is expected to grow to over 1000 participants in the coming years, offering significant economic boost to host countries and especially communities along the route. Cyclists will camp, cook and take part in scheduled program activities throughout the entire expedition, taking them through different communities daily.
Each day, riders will experience not more than 130kilometres of East Africa complete with its history, culture, and people. In the evenings, cyclists will camp in the Tour d` EAC village, erected in an area allocated by the local authorities or communal zone of each host community, eating meals sometimes prepared by community organizations and serving seasonal, locally sourced foods. Wherever possible, support services, provisions, entertainment and meals will be procured from host and route communities to benefit the local economy.
WHAT IS NEW IN THE 2018 TOUR D EAC?
The most exciting hit high spot of Tour d EAC 2018 is CONGO NILE ULTRA TRAIL which is a five 3 to five day ULTRA MARATHON that will feature, Bicycling, Kayaking and hiking. The CNT ultra will commence from Gesenyi and end in Rubavu organized by MASHA ADVENTURESPORTS LLC a Rwandan based Adventure Company based in Kigali Rwanda. Tour D EAC 2018 seeks to mobilize all East African Citizens, organizations, companies, Leaders, and everyone to take part in the 2018 CNT Ultra. Our intention to take part in the CNT Ultra is simply to signify the heights at which we want to see the integration turn into a reality. We are very much ware and we know that, It requires, patience, determination, self-belief, sacrifice, discipline, motivation to climb a mountain. These are same characters we need if the integration is to be realized. Campfire logs guild believes that if the community learns about its history, we can realize this goal.
Tour East Africa Community 2018
All ministries of East African Partner states are looking forward to hosting Tour D EAC event in the respective capitals, Since Tour d` EAC is the latest, longest and most ambitious undertaking of a bicycle tour in the region. It’s not competitive in nature and all activities involved are aimed at promoting the EAC integration Agenda.
The Team will always have one or two days rest and organize dialogue in form of (workshops or press conferences) while in the capital of every member state. The team will hold public meetings in major towns of every member state to discuss with different communities the benefits of the East African regional integration. This event is a community based cycling event where by the team bonds with locals and creates awareness for the integration of the East African partner states, engage in activities that help emphasize and support the 2018 Theme.
How many participants do we expect the 2018 Tour d’EAC.
We want to plan for over 100 participants in the 2018 Tour D EAC. We expect at least 15 from each partner state, camera crew, Medical Team, Administrators or Service Team Crew.
The 3rd East African Bicycle Tour (Tour d`EAC 2018), will feature cyclists from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa, Denmark, Netherlands and Canada and other parts of the world. This event is expected to grow to over 1000 participants in the coming years, offering significant economic boost to host countries and especially communities along the route. Cyclists will camp, cook and take part in scheduled program activities throughout the entire expedition, taking them through different communities daily.
Each day, riders will experience not more than 130kilometres of East Africa complete with its history, culture, and people. In the evenings, cyclists will camp in the Tour d` EAC village, erected in an area allocated by the local authorities or communal zone of each host community, eating meals sometimes prepared by community organizations and serving seasonal, locally sourced foods. Wherever possible, support services, provisions, entertainment and meals will be procured from host and route communities to benefit the local economy.
All ministries of East African Partner states are looking forward to hosting Tour D EAC event in the respective capitals.
Tour d` EAC is the latest, longest and most ambitious undertaking of a bicycle tour in the region. It’s not competitive in nature and all activities involved are aimed at promoting the EAC integration Agenda.
The Team will always have one or two days rest and organize dialogue in form of (workshops or press conferences) while in the capital of every member state. The team will hold public meetings in major towns of every member state to discuss with different communities the benefits of the East African regional integration. This event is a community based cycling event where by the team bonds with locals and creates awareness for the integration of the East African partner states, engage in activities that help emphasize and support the 2018 Theme.
Why Cycling?
We chose the Cycling event because we know that a peddling event does not only provide an opportunity for people to ride together and experience the route or sight, it is also a powerful way to build a sense of community and strengthen social networks within the East African Community. In addition most East African citizens lack awareness of the regional integration process; they cannot as such articulate the benefits that can be drawn from the integration of the EAC partner states.
Design of the route
The design of the expedition route is as shown below;
START…
KIGALI – RWANDA
AND THEN VIA BUJUMBURA – BURUNDI TO DAR ES SALAAM – TANZANIA ON TO NAIROBI KENYA AND KAMPALA – UGANDA.
END… KIGALI- RWANDA.
MODE OF TRANSPORT TO AND FROM: BICYCLE.
DISTANCE: APPROX 6000KM
We are very convinced that by cycling throughout the region, we shall be extremely visible and shall attract both local and international tourism through media coverage hence making news within the region and on the international scene. The news shall be, that a group of young men and women from East Africa changed the world by being the first group to ride over 4500km, creating awareness about the EAC, sharing, bonding and interacting with different communities within the region.
THE TEAM WILL THEREFORE BE
• Flagged off at EAC offices in every member state.
• Visit the East Africa headquarters and parliament in Arusha – Tanzania.
• The cyclists shall deliver the East African Community message to every Ministry of East Africa.
• We shall hold meetings/gatherings/press conferences on the resting day in each member state. Every member state shall be represented by only 10 cyclists and 2 officials every year.
• All cyclists shall fly their country flags alongside the EAC flag on their bicycles.
• All participants including the officials are expected to arrive at least 3 days before the actual flag off for orientation. Squads will then be formed and trained. A leader will be attached to each squad. In every squad, all member states participants shall evenly be distributed to make a complete squad.
• All activities shall be carried out according to squads and the Expedition Administration team.
• To encourage team work, emphasize discipline, time management, endurance and task completion, the administration team will award marks to different squads which shall be tallied at the end of the event.
We are all sons and daughters of the same land and the formation of the East African community boosts development within the region. We further want to send a message to our leaders that the East African community belongs to all of us not only leaders.
LOCATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The preparatory activities for Tour d EAC 2018 are managed under Campfire Logs Guild Offices Located at Kabalagala.
PARTICIPATION
• Participation is open for all citizens of East Africa and other countries of the world that are enthusiastic about adventure and tourism.
• Participants representing Partner states will be paid for and facilitated by each member state.
• Orientation workshops will be organized and conducted by specialists on key issues of community service, expedition, safety skills, emergency response, first aid and basic bicycle repair skills to acquaint participants with the route and the rules of the team.
• Participants are screened, scrutinized, examined and assessed to make sure they qualify for the task before they are allowed to join the team
REQUIREMENTS
To participate, one will have to fill a consent form committing them to the event and pay participation fee, this fee will cater for water, feeding, expedition t-shirt, scarves, expedition booklets, awards, memory packs, airport pickups and other emergencies.
1. FOOD: We shall cook our own lunch and dinner while breakfast will be packed. Light food will bedistributed to everyone, every three days in the evening at 10:00pm.
2. Water: For purposes of wellbeing, every participant is required to have at least two water cans andfive liters of water will be provided every day.
3. Accommodation: All participants including administrators and organizing team will camp or sleepas shall be directed by the expedition route manager or the expedition administrator.
4. Emergency: Trained squad leaders are attached to each squad and are equipped with skills inexpedition, safety management and a necessary first aid kit is provided. Several hospitals will be used or contacted for referral purposes. Medical teams will be put on standby.
5. Safety: The EAC secretariat has contacted all member states to ensure our safety and security.
Tour East Africa Community 2018:
WHAT TYPE OF BIKE DO I NEED? Any!! There are always all types of bicycles with all types of skill levels. As long as your bike works, Come and join us.
WILL I BE LEFT BEHIND? No, each rider is what we term as a no drop ride. That means that if you start with a ride, you will finish with a ride. The ride leaders will make sure you get from point to b safely. That’s said moderate and advanced riders will be at faster pace. But you will not be left behind alone.
Is this a family friendly Ride? Absolutely, there different sections and Family friendly rides, totally grab your kids and come join us.
Where does the money from tour d EAC go:
Hosting a 45 day long expedition is not cheap. All proceeds of our events have a purpose. Whether it’s to help cover organizing costs, help keep our other events free, help us bring you bigger and better events, assist with insurance and or to help us give more back to EAC citizens.
In order to positively impact EAC through bicycling, we must remain sustainable
CHALLENGE ACTIVITIES:
Below are the activities we shall do in the 45 days of the EAC AFRICAN CHALLENGE,
ACTIVITIES FOR THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY CHALLEGE
1. Recruitment
2. Carry out training and test routes
3. Prepare promotional material for the event
4. Assemble equipment
5. Orientation workshops and screening of participants.
6. Beginning of trial (trail). Activities during the Actual Cycling:
7. The most exciting hit high spot of Tour d EAC 2018 is CONGO NILE ULTRA TRAIL which is a five 3 to five day ULTRA MARATHON that will feature, Bicycling, Kayaking and hiking. The CNT ultra will commence from Gesenyi and end in Rubavu organized by MASHA ADVENTURESPORTS LLC a Rwandan based Adventure Company based in Kigali Rwanda. Tour D EAC 2018 seeks to mobilize all East African Citizens, organizations, companies, Leaders, and everyone to take part in the 2018 CNT Ultra. Our intention to take part in the CNT Ultra is simply to signify the heights at which we want to see the integration turn into a reality. We are very much ware and we know that, It requires, patience, determination, self-belief, sacrifice, discipline, motivation to climb a mountain. These are same characters we need if the integration is to be realized. Campfire logs guild believes that if the community learns about its history, we can realize this goal.
8. Take part in the CNT Gorilla Ultra (CONG NILE TRAIL ULTRA) this trail will feature bicycling, kayaking and hiking. The EAC cyclists will ride up to Gesenyi for the official launch of the CNT Ultra 2018, participate in the CNT Ultra 2018 and then after proceed towards Bujumbura and dare Salam respectively.
9. PROPAGATION: Cyclists will sensitize different communities along the way on various concerns ofthe East African Community. This includes media coverage in print, digital and social media.
10. CHALLENGE COURSE: All participants will enter a reality where they will be dared with variouschallenges. Cyclists in their squads will take part in physical activities with games to test their mind.
They will climb trees, escape traps, turn rough the forest and explore the dare trails as they solve puzzles. Cyclists shall be tasked with various obstacles, mind games and survival tests.
11. PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION: Cyclists are expected to upload at least three pictures or selfies onour social media platforms and the more likes one gets wins them an award. This is intended for the participants not to miss out on any important captions along the trail.
12. KWESANA: The term kwesana is brain child of a 7year old happy Scout Jim Bennett which he alwaysuses to mean playing with other young Scouts. In this case, Campfire Logs Guild adopted the term to refer to Mixer-ability, entertainment, interaction, networking and any other activity that brings us together.
13. GRAND FINALE, AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: This is an annual event where our participants areawarded with various awards, certificates and recognized for various endeavors’.
HOW TO HELP:
This expedition is BIG, and we can’t do it alone.”
There are many ways you can help raise awareness for the East African Community.
Spread the word –Tell others about the expedition and suggest that they can give us the necessary helpand support during the expedition. The more people that we can inspire to change their attitudes, the better off we’ll all be
Change your Habits – It’s the little things in life that can make the biggest differences. Be aware of theimpact of the East African Community that we can co-exist on the region and benefit from each other.
Safe Havens –If you know of a friend or family along the route that may be able to offer shelter for thenight, or a home cooked meal, we would love to hear from you.
Donate to Campfire Logs Guild –Help change the world by sponsoring the East African Challenge.
Help with the gear – It’s expensive to buy all the necessary gears to undertake such an expedition. Weshall be relying on the loving kindness of the people of East Africa like you. (jumulia Afrika Masharik)
Partner with the Expedition –If you think your company, organization or you, may be able to help, wewould love to hear from you.
