Tanzania - Ireland Alternative Medicine Project

The Zanzibar Cycling Challenge

The Zanzibar Cycling Challenge was researched in July 2005 and we brought out our first group in June 2006. It was a great success in terms of raising awareness and funds for the TIAM Project.

Zanzibar, the legendary spice island, is a 600-square mile island situated some 30 miles off the coast of Tanganyika, in the Indian Ocean.

The Challenge consists of cycling all around the coast of Zanzibar. The whole trip takes two weeks of which approximately 10 days are spent cycling.

Pushing pedals for a great cause

The monies collected are used to build and run a school of homeopathy and traditional medicine in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania. The project is headed by a Tanzanian homeopath, Sigsbert Rwegasira, who has been tirelessly treating thousands of patients in Tanzania for the past 17 years. His results in the treatment of malaria – the number one killer disease in the world – are particularly impressive. The Tanzanian government are giving him full support. However, funds are needed to finance the building of the school.

In 2008 the TIAM Project has joined forces with Jeremy Sherr’s AIDS Project in Tanzania. Jeremy is a well known homeopath, teacher and author. His goal for this project is to initially create a clinic and teaching infrastructure. He then plans to expand to opening more schools in Tanzania and throughout Africa, training doctors, homeopathic professionals, nurses and local practitioners and conducting research on homeopathy and AIDS.

Jeremy’s vision is to make homeopathy available to all those suffering from AIDS as it works on restoring inner resources, and enhancing the natural healing system. In Tanzania, 6% of the population has AIDS. The Tanzanian government is very forward thinking in officially recognising homeopathy as a form of healing and this makes Tanzania the ideal basis from which to start. For more info, go to www.dynamis.edu.

In 2009 the Zanzibar Challenge will raise awareness and funds for both ventures.

When is the Challenge taking place?

May 23rd to June 6th 2009 - this being the coolest time of the year in Zanzibar. It is not such a busy time and prices are lower.

How big is the group?

We bring a maximum of 20 participants per trip. We may extend it to two trips a year and raise double the money if we have enough people interested.

Will I be up to it?

Everybody is welcome to join us. Participants need to have a medium level of fitness. We cycle for 4 to 5 hours a day over 10 days with 3 days of rest in between. Zanzibar is not particularly hilly but the challenge lies in the fact that sustained effort is required because of the heat, occasional rain shower and the state of the roads. We recommend that you take regular exercise for a few weeks in preparation for the tour.

A typical day on the trip

We aim to set off early each morning, eat a nutritious breakfast (usually fresh fruit, eggs, etc...) and cycle for up to three hours in the morning on a mixture of tarmac roads, dirt roads, sand tracks and beach. We cycle through traditional villages, bush, and along the coast. The Zanzibari are a very friendly and curious people and the children in the villages we pass along the way shout greetings and gather round for a chat. We stop regularly to regroup and rehydrate at roadside shops.

We stop for lunch either in a typical ‘hoteli’ where local food is served (rice and beans, fish, meat dishes...) or a beach ‘guesti’ where more western-style food is available. We take a two to three-hour break waiting for the heat to die down. This time can be spent sitting under a tree playing with local children, befriending the elders or brushing up on your Swahili.

We then cycle on to our next accommodation. The rest of the evening is free for you to enjoy.

Where do we stay?

In the towns, we stay in cheap but clean hotels. While cycling along the coast, we stay in delightful beach accommodation. Mosquito nets are provided. Delicious fresh food is available in all the beach bungalows.

What do I need to do to join the trip?

You need to fundraise a minimum of €3,800 by the end of April 2009, that’s all! This might sound like a daunting task but in fact you will be pleasantly surprised to find that it is not that difficult.

To secure a place on the trip, you need to fill in an application form and give us a deposit of €500 payable before Christmas. Early in 2009, we will organize an induction day course to help you organize your trip and teach you a few Swahili greetings...

What is included in the package?

It includes all transport related to the Challenge: airfares, boats, airport transfers, mountain bikes - with gears and carriers - and bed and breakfast. It doesn’t include meals, activities, visits, travel insurance and visa fee.

For Irish travelers, a visitors’ visa is available on entering Tanzania at a cost of €100. Other travelers please contact the Tanzanian Embassy in your country to obtain a visa.

How much money do I need to bring?

You can eat in local restaurants for as little as €1 or splash out on seafood in more tourist orientated restaurants for less than €10 per meal. A local beer costs about €1.50. A €20 a day budget is very generous.

General info

Our challenge is open to people over 18 years. We require participants to be culturally sensitive (most zanzibaris are muslim), willing to be part of a team, flexible, & have a sense of adventure. It can be difficult especially in the beginning adjusting to the climate, food, language, culture, and seeing the harsh social conditions that people in a developing country live in. We usually have a day or two in Stonetown (the capital of Zanzibar) to adjust & find our feet before setting off cycling around the island.

How about fundraising methods?

We give the participants a lot of support and encouragement with the fundraising including an induction day early in the new year.

We print personalized sponsorship cards for each participant and provide lots of fundraising tips (email zanzibar@tiamproject.com for a list of fundraising tips).

Here is a list of ideas: Carol singing, gigs, concerts, poetry reading, art exhibition, table quiz (we can provide the questions), bingo night, bagging in supermarkets, lottery draw, car boot sales, selling stuff on ebay, dinner parties, cookery classes, wine tasting evenings, raffles, board games and cards tournaments, treasure hunts, murder mystery dinners, golf event, fishing competition, fashion show...

We will provide you with a DVD copy of a short documentary ‘The Tanzanian Homeopath’ that can be shown at fundraising events. It explains what the TIAM project is about. You can also download it online.

We will put you in contact with other trip-goers in your area should you wish to organize fundraising events together. Turn your fund-raising into fun raising!

How is the money used?

As an indication, approximately €1,900 per trip-goer is spent on flights, rental of bicycles, accommodation and organizing costs and the rest goes directly into the projects funds. The sum of €3,800 is the minimum to get on the trip, however we will welcome surpluses!

Count me in!

We hope that you are now inspired and ready to go. We will do our very best to bring you on an unforgettable adventure in a very beautiful and magical place.

Download the application form for the Zanzibar Challenge and send it in today!