The Caravane completed its journey across seven West African countries at the end of November reaching thousands of young Africans. The journey took place over a duration of 50 days and left Niger in October. Since then, it has been welcomed into the seven U.E.M.O.A countries who all undertook road safety action during its passing through prominent West African locations. Read about the closing ceremony of the Caravane!
DAKAR, SENEGAL: On November 24th and 25th, 2012
On Saturday 24th, the Caravanners arrived in Dakar, in Senegal, at around 8 am: Final City of their long journey through West Africa. After 45 days of travelling through more than 8.000 km, sensitizing thousand young people in every crossed country.
It is tired, but nevertheless very excited and always full of motivation, that they continue their mission in Dakar, where they organized, with the support of LASER International, a huge Closing Ceremony with the authorities of the country, the representatives of international institutions (e.g. WHO, the association of the disabled persons, etc.), their African and European colleagues, as well as the other Senegalese youngsters who especially came for the event. They also enjoyed from this opportunity to pay tribute to the Road Victims for World Day dedicated in their Remembrance.
On November 25th, marking their last official day of awareness raising of their peers, the Caravanners organized a football game at the Dakar Sacré-Coeur (DSC) with the Atlantic Bank team, as well as a concert of Daraa J, especially personalized for the Caravanners, where numerous youngsters spent the entire evening jumping and dancing on their awesome beats.
This Caravane is a real success, thanks to your precious support… YOU, all young people (African and European, TOGETHER) understood the this urge of reacting on this plague of road fatalities. As we can avoid it !!! Together we managed to mobilize the authorities of all these countries (by handing them the Youth Declaration). From now on, they are by our side to stop road crashes (which sadly remain the first worldwide cause of death among young people, in front of suicides, AIDS and the Malaria – at least and thankfully, WE do something about it), in order to reduce the number of victims by 50% before 2020.
You were more than 300.000 to read us every week during 2 months (in total gathering more than 1.400.000 views), with more than “7.000 Likes” on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/caravanedesjeunesUEMOA – in French). We sincerely thank you for it!
Now we must encourage those 36 young Caravanners, 36 heroes, on their way back to their respective countries (where they will arrive on December 1st), and wait for a 2nd edition in 2013.
Thank you again to all for your precious support,
See you very soon on the road, somewhere in Africa, or in Europe.
Sincerely yours,
THE CARAVANNERS
