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Spaniard dreams of cycling Africa`s poverty away
2007-02-19 10:15:40
By Selemani Mpochi
Nando Padros, 46, from Spain vowed in Dar es Salaam on Saturday to bring to the world`s attention to Africa`s devastating poverty through cycling around the continent.
Speaking to The Guardian, he said the plight of the poor in the continent was sordid and the rich in the western world had a moral responsibility to help change the situation for the better.
`As a person I am not rich, but because I was touched by the plight of the poor in Africa, I decided to sacrifice my time to cycle around the continent to drum up support for the poor… and see if through small donations I can change the lives of a few and bring their plight to the attention of the rich,` he said.
Padros said he was not well endowed financially, but through a charity account he had set up in Spain, various people and institutions were helping to make his dream real.
`Good Samaritans contribute money in the account in Spain, which I use to donate to the poor people that I meet along my journey,` he said adding that it was not possible to assist everybody.
He blasted the majority of the rich in the West for being extremely selfish.
`There are many people and organisations in the West with a lot of money. They will never donate it to the poor because they are too selfish,` Padros said.
In his journey across the continent, he has met the poor of the poorest.
`Some did not have money for food… for others it was money for school fees,` he said, adding that it was soul touching to mingle with such people as they lead extremely difficult life.
`The rich must come to the rescue of the poor. We can`t have such an unequal world where some of the human masses are deprived of even basic necessities,` he said.
So far he has cycled his way to Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and DR Congo.
While in Rwanda, Tanzania Deputy High Commissioner there Anitha Mbega gave him a free visa to visit the county, said Padros.
Padros’ journey to Africa started in 2005. His bicycle carries about 70 kg of luggage for his provisions on way.
He was born in Navarcles city in Spain.
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