A Kitesurfing challenge, bringing awareness to community projects and documenting a raw way of life, living along the pristine coast line of Cabo Delgado. The challenge is to travel by kite the length of Mozambique's northern most province, Cabo Delgado. A small part of the ancient Arab and Portuguese trade routes, who used the south easterly trade winds known locally as the 'Kussi'.
The start and finish points are marked by two rivers, the Lurio to the south and the Ruvuma to the north bordering Tanzania. Five kitesurfers will set sail around the 9th of June, depending on the wind, to cover the 210nm stretch over seven days carrying what we can with us, using only a small motorboat for support. During the trip there will be several open water sections and dense mangrove swamps to navigate. These are just some of the foreseeable challenges that we will encounter, while stopping along the way to explore the abundant potential for kite surfing and absorb the essence of such an unspoilt coastline. Our first port of call will be Il Pirata, (www.kitesurfingmozambique.com) northern Mozambique's only kite surfing school and home to Carlo, who is leader of the trip and has the most experience in the team. From there we will continue our journey north to the Tanzanian boarder, camping along the way. Our aim is to raise awareness for the need of clean water, and promote current community projects in Mozambique.
The coast line of Cabo Delgado is mainly populated by the Mwani people who have over the years integrated with the Macua people and Makonde people. Coastal communities have embraced the ocean as a source of life and have adapted their ways to co exist. One of the big challenges communities face along this pristine coast line is access to clean drinking water. Through the support of the NEMA foundation, Guludo Beach Lodge, Water Charity, +H20 and the communities themselves, access to clean drinking water has been provided, all over the world, including a number of projects in Mozambique, Madagascar and Tanzania. We will be documenting not only the huge potential of new kite surfing spots but the way of life that surrounds them, hugging Mozambique's remote coast line. As early as AD600 the coast line and its communities have been influenced by Arab and Portuguese traders, leaving behind trails of their influence and presence. Through our passion for water sports and a conscience for the environment we hope to capture life along the coast as it stands today.
Please follow the links below for more information on the supporting parties: http://kitesurfingmozambique.com/ http://www.positiveh2o.com/ http://watercharity.org/ http://nemafoundation.tumblr.com/ http://www.guludo.com/ http://www.catvphotography.co.uk