cycling4africa

David is currently cycling from Eden to Cann River. The ride is hard and the terrain unrelenting. The phone calls have been short and few due to reception and power availability. At one stage he ran out of water and was collecting some from the plants and a gadget he made up. He was in the middle of nowhere. He was hoping to reach Cann River by Monday 29th Dec. On Tuesday he hoped to cycle all day to reach Bairnsdale, where he can rest up for a few days.

Since leaving Canberra, David has spent some nights sleeping in unusual surroundings. Nothing is daunting for him. For safety reasons he has had to sleep surrounded by rubbish bins (skips) in an alley way in one of the towns, AND get this, he also slept at a local cemetary!! I can only say I was relieved to hear from him the next morning to make sure he was safe. David arrived in Bega and spent a few days over Christmas camping at a local's backyard. Peter alllowed him the use of his property for as long as he needed. He spent the nights in his tents on a 30 degree incline and has told me he spent most of the nights slowly slipping down to one end of the tent then climbing his way back up to find his pillow. Although the nights were not as comfortable as he hoped the experience of sharing a few days with a person in need not only allowed David to have some respite, but also to minister to a gentle man who needed his company. He has also buckled his back wheel along the way an

I am currently in Bega and have just spoken to ABC South East and, about to talk to Peter Diskon (2EC Radio). My message hasn't changed. "I am hoping to raise $20,000 for an orphanage in Zambia in response to 800,000 orphans as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and, to highlight the need for the developed world (including Australia), to maintain their International Development Aid in light of the global economic crisis. With every radio interview, my delivery about the JOURNEY is more passionate, focused and relaxed. In other words, I am enjoying the experience - initially it was quit nerve wrecking. I have asked Jennifer (ABC South East) to send an MP3 recording of the interview – I believe it encapsulates what the Journey is all about. (As soon as Josephine receives a copy it will appear on the Blog - look for it). Rather than community radio, I much prefer public radio. The simple reason, I can be political - after all, poverty is a political issue, it is about haves and th

Hi all It has been a very successful journey at many levels. If you have been connecting with the Blog you will know I have engaged with the media (radio and newspapers) and the schools. Yesterday, I spent a good part of the day with Major Peter Holly (Salvation Army National Secretary) who is very excited about the Salvation Army's involvement (Altona/Williamstown Core) and the journey. Today I have an a udience with Margaret Watt (Chief of Staff) for Mr. McMullan (Secretary for International Development Assistance). At this time, I will be expressing some concern about the real possibility heads of state from the developed world reneging on their Official Development Assistance - the global economic crisis has diverted much attention from aid assistance as reflected by the lack of attendance by the developed world at the Funding for Development recently in Doha. While Mr. McMullan did consent to an audience with me, this wasn'

On Friday David and I were taken out to dinner by our friends at the Salavtion army. Carole picked us up with her car as the downpour threatened to drown us. It just didn't stop raining all day and all night. It was a great evening to relax and unwind. Saturday we had planned to do some sightseeing around Canberra, but unfortunately David was very tired and needed to catch up with some rest. By the time I had organised some places to see and was ready to go, it wasn't hard to figure out where David had dissappeared to, the snoring led me to his room. Needless to say, sightseeing had to wait. The weather was very unpredictable. The rain had stopped but the wind was blowing a gale. After a good sleep we went to the local market, did some shopp ing and went back to our residence to cook a meal full of carbs! It was a great day. On Sunday 12th Dec, Carole again picked me up to go to fellowship at the Salvation Army in Braddon, while David cycled in. We were welcomed with open

On Thursday I joined David (with my camera) for a visit to Kathmandu at their Canberra store. The place had a few customers purchasing, so we walked around until it became quieter. Hannah approached us to see if we needed help, then Trent joined in as well while David talked excitedly with them about his journey. It wasn't too long before David made his presence known, and the place became a buzzz of activity. He asked to talk to the store manager to see if he could take a few photos with them. In a jiffy, James (Store Manager) walks in with a great big smile on his face. We knew we were going to have some fun with these guys. All three were as excited as we were about the trip and the visit. Trent just couldn't help himself and climbed the ladder to great heights to retrieve the banner so that we can "Live the dream". James quickly appeared with the Kathmandu banner over his shoulder and a few little fluffy creatures to make the photo shoot more interesting, while Ha

I left Melbourne to fly (no not cycle) to Canberra on the Wed10th Dec to join David for a few days to catch up, make sure he is well, and to join him for a couple of days of relaxation between his commitments. The first thing that was noticable about David when we met was firstly that he had lost a lot of weight (everywhere else bar his tummy) and his skin colour has a permanent suntan. I was a little envious. He was in good spirits and his usual talkative self. While I was getting my gear together, I could hear that familiar voice negotiating a price with the bus driver to get us to Canberra City, needless to say it is going to be an interesting few days. Those that know David well would know what I mean. The following days, Thursday and Friday, we spent a lot of time catching up and residing at the Library. David had to catch up to his emails, replies and commitments as well as organising further appointments for the journey ahead. His first stop on Thursday was to fulfill a promise

David finally arrives in Canberra on Sunday 7thDec, two days earlier than expected. He got in at 11.15 am. Soon after that the Salvation Army Corps in Altona rang him after the church service. He talked to the church community from his mobile as it was placed close to the microphone for everyone to hear. Needless to say, there was a lot of smiling faces that were beaming with pride as he was talking. During his rest period, David did some research and organised an interview with the 666 ABC Canberra. 9.00 am Wednesday morning, David recieved a phonecall from the 666 ABC Canberra for an interview with Alex Sloan on her breakfast show. Although a little apprehensive about doing a live interview on live radio, David was looking forward to the challenge. It was to go on air at 10.45 am. Not long after he got to the studio, the Production Manager popped his head in and told David he would be on air LIVE in 5 minutes (lucky David has the ability to think on his feet, it came in handy). He wa

David arrived at Michelago Saturday night December the 6th and slept in an abandoned railway station. He was calling out for Scarlet (Gone with the wind) as he settled for a good night sleep with all the other stars above him. He felt he was back in time, in the days of 'Gone with the wind". There was a lot of nastalgia about the place. The scenery was breathless. After a feed of pasta and a phone call to me to let me know he was well, the mosquitos decided they wanted a part of him too. He quickly settled for the night and went to laa laa land!! He will be off in the morning to Canberra.

Hi I am David. As you are aware, this journey is not for my benefit but to raise public awareness about global poverty (and money for the Kazembe Baby Orphanage in Zambia) , and particular, poverty stricken children in Africa. While in Canberra, I am hoping to speak to the Secretary for International Development Assistance given the enormous pressure the developed world faces in maintaining their aid commitments under the current global economic crisis. You may be aware that the UN Financing for Development Conference was held recently in Doha . In 2002 the UN conducted the first Financing for Development Conference (attended by Heads of State, World Bank and the IMF) resulting in the Monterrey Consensus. Monterrey Consensus is in essence the unanimous support for the UN target of allocating .7% of Gross National Income for Official Development Assistance by UN Member Countries by 2015. (The .7% is for the financing the Millennium Development Goals central to the UN Millennium Declar

David has spent the last six days in Cooma, recovering a little, checking his bike and making further arrangement to meet with the press and hopefully some politicians that can make a difference to his cause. The light is finally at the end of the tunnel for David for the first half of his journey. He is spending another night under the stars and will be off first light tomorrow (Dec 7th) to make his way to Canberra. The terrain has been kind to him today, he only had a few difficult spots to conquer and although the weather was hot and sticky, it was manageable. The support from the public as always has been a blessing to David. Travelers along the way are still stopping and offering water, which was much needed today. As David ran out of water, this man in a car traveling along the way asked David if he was OK? David said I have run out of water. The man pulled out a container of cold water and told David to help himself. Thank you whoever you are. These sort of blessings have been p

While in Bairnsdale, David had the opportunity to be interviewed by Life FM. Here is a copy of that recording, to keep you up to date with some of the appointments David is keeping while cycling from town to town. To access interview, highlight Link and copy in your address bar. http://www.lifefm.org/interviews/21Nov08B.mp3

It's Saturday 29th Nov. At 9.00am I received a phone call from David. My 5 yr old granddaughter was with me at the time and has asked me many times, "where is Nannu David?" I would tell her that he is cycling to help get money so we can buy food for the children in Africa, because they have no money or food. When she got on the phone to talk with him, the first thing she asked was "are you in Africa yet, nannu?" Needless to say, these words of innocence made David's day and mine! Apparently it rained all night in Bombala. Some time during the evening David met up with a german couple who were doing a cycling trip. They proved to be great company for David. They camped close by for the night and joined him for breakfast the next morning. Today he will be taking a day off cycling and having a rest before heading off to Cooma in the morning.

After leaving Orbost, David headed for Cann River. The terrain again proved to be challenging and the weather hot. Along the way, people have stopped to offer water a few times and it was greatly appreciated. As there is only so much water David can carry with him, he was most relieved that passers by gave him a thought and offered precious cold water to him. At times he was running out of water as these blessings came along. Thank you all. It is in these situations when you get to see the beautiful side of humanity. As David was cycling along, a gentleman by the name of Dennis offered to relieve David of his heavy load, and swap bikes for a while. He was willing to do this for the next stretch of cycling right up to Bombala. Although the intention was one of concern, David did reassure him that he will be fine and that he needed to do it on his own. David said "I need to communicate to everyone that in the absence of support, the likelihood of achieving the objective is mi

After travelling some distance from Bairnsdale through Nowa Nowa, I finally arrive at Orbost. After a good night's sleep, I will again face a room full of students and teachers to tell of my travels, passions and adventure. After being welcomed at Orbost Secondary College, teachers David Doolan and Sharon Jones allowed me to spend some time in their SOSE classes. I spoke again of my mission and how one child dies every three seconds in the poorest half of the world. Again the students astounded me by their silence. The fidgeting and the chatter died down and stopped completely while I relayed my message. The students were allowed to interact by asking questions or offering solutions to this world crisis. Two of the suggestions were " perhaps everyone who bought a ticket to the footy paid an extra dollar towards an International development project" or " out of every speed fine, a dollar could be used to help and aid these causes". Although these sugge

In the morning of Monday 24 th Nov, David headed off to visit Bairnsdale Secondary College to talk with the staff and students about his beloved Cycling4 africa and to spread the message about poverty in the poorest half of the world. In a room full of students and teachers, David stated that "In the time the Victorian Footy Grand Final was played, 120 minutes elapsed and 2400 children your age and half your age died in the poorest half of the world from preventable diseases and hunger - the room went silent, and you couldn't even hear 2 pins drop. These students related to these children and the seriousness of the situation, and had their ears glued to what was said. The quiet and stillness in the room along with serious faces indicated that these students were feeling for these children and the situation they are in; perhaps even reflecting on how blessed they are that they were born where they are. The students were encouraged to comment and ask questions. Among the ma

David bypassed Stratford in order to gain some extra time in the journey ahead. He knows that pretty much after Bairnsdale, it is going to be very challenging until he gets to Canberra. He will be staying in Bairnsdale until Tuesday 25th Nov. This will give him a chance to look over the bike and have a few rest days. Daniel and Melissa from the Salvation army in Bairnsdale have genreously offered to put up with him, or shall I say put him up for a few days at their place. He arrived on Friday 21st Nov as warnings were fortold by the media that Gippsland is going to recieve a lot of rain over the weekend and could get some floodings. As predicted Saturday was wet all day. It was a good opportunity to check the bike over. There were some issues with the bike that David needed to attend to before he heads off. But first he spent the day relaxing with the family he was staying with and doing some admin work he needed to attend to. He will work on the bike tomorrow. On Sunday it was

After spending the night (18th Nov) at Rosedale, under the stars, the ride commenced again, finally ending in Sale. My first port of call was the Gippsland Times (media), there Eleanor Venables put pen to paper and reported my journey to date. Shortly after, I found myself at Life FM Gippsland 103.9, behind a microphone responding to Sarah's questions. I didn't know what to expect given my first experience with radio. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the listener's response is. As the interview was coming to an end, I was quick to tell the truckies listening "to keep an eye out for a cyclist on a bike answering to my description". They tend to invade your personal space, if you know what I mean, it's been a bit hairy at times! Let me say a big THANK-YOU to Sarah, who made the experience a lot more comfortable then I expected. Equally, a big THANK-YOU to Debbie, your smile added reassurance to what at times has been a challenging journey. The re

Hi everyone, At 9.00am on Tuesday 18th Nov, I was on the school grounds of Woolum Bellum Campus (The Victorian P-12 College of Koorie Education). I was a little unsure as to where from here, until Mary came to my rescue and directed me to the staffroom. The staff was as unsure about me as I was about them. Again Mary came to my rescue with an explanation about who I was, and why I was visiting. The mystery dissapeared as quickly as it came. Responding to an invitation to expand on Mary's well informed introduction, I followed with a 3 min pitch. Shortly after, I found myself surrounded by Koorie children, all eagerly asking questions. At this point in time I found myself pleasantly taken back in time to my early Kimberley experiences with children of a similar disposition for fun. On leaving (and not before the La Trobe Valley Express captured the experience on film) I reminded the children of the importance of education. I relayed "how education meant more ch

On Friday 14th the blessings continued to rain on David, the heat subsided and the cool change meant that the cycling would be more bearable. The journey started off like every other journey, with a setback. The stand on the bike broke. Firstly he went to the Salvation army and shared prayers with family and friends. He was moved by the prayers and the fact that these people were behind his cause and helped to make it a reality. A pastor/friend from another church visited as well. It was great to see commonality amongst Christians. After goodbyes, David went for a quick visit to Brad (Cycling supermarket, Altona) to have a bike stand attached to the bike, and off he went. David arrived safely at Pakenham later on in the afternoon. He didn't quite make his first appointment on time with the journo for the Pakenham Leader. 20kms before Pakenham, the terrain proved to be a bit of a challenge with the weight of the loaded bike. The journo was happy to meet him on the road. He

I am on my way !!! Departing from 108 Queens St, Altona. Salvation Army Corps 8:00 am Friday 14th November. ALL WELCOME

David Briffa will be cycling from Melbourne to Canberra and back again to raise money for the Kazembe Baby Orphanage in Zambia. He will speak to schools, churches and politicians along the way because poverty deserves our attention

For the many who are just hearing about the Cycle for Africa fundraiser, on the 14th of November I am cycling to Canberra from Melbourne and back. Along the way I am hoping to raise public awareness about poverty and dollars for the Kazembe Baby Orphanage in Zambia. The major sponsor for the fundraiser is the Salvation Army, who will also administer every cent raised. The very first question people ask me is, 'WHY the Cycle For Africa fundraiser?' Well, leading up to the fundraiser I found myself confronted with many stories and images of poverty in Africa: 'the people are desperately hungry', 'babies are crying' and 'acute malnutrition' is a daily experience (The Age, 27/9/2008). As I looked at the mothers cradling their children's fragile bodies I felt overwhelmed by their apparent sense of hopelessness; I was moved by 'the face of innocence deserving of a future.’ Recently I visited a school in the western suburbs. Unlike the faces of poverty,

Endorsements: Dr. Tahmina Rashid (RMIT University) Dr Jonathan Makuwira (RMIT University) Shaun Featherston (Project Love Salvation Army Altona Corps). Sponsors: Salvation Army Altona and Williamstown Corps. Commonwealth Bank (Altona Branch) CRÈME Lounge (60 Pier St, Altona) Artichoke Deli (71 Pier St, Altona) Raffaels Cafe www.raffaelscafe.com.au - Werribee Chatterbox Cafe (63 Watton St, Werribee) Mr Rental www.mrrental.com.au (118 Queen St, Altona) Clark Rubber www.clarkrubber.com.au Cycling Supermarket www.cyclingsupermarket.com.au Supporter in Kind RMIT Print Services Brian Hamer (Financial Control) Evan (Cyclic Bicycles) www.cyclicbicycles.com Jo Brookshaw (Poster Development, Salvation Army Training College) Kathmandu www.kathmandu.com.au ObsLabs www.obslabs.net23.net Cycling Supermarket www.cyclingsupermarket.com.au Josephine Pisani (for her enormous support and unconditional encouragement )

You can help by donating via one of the following methods: __________________________________________________________ Donations can be forwarded to: Cycle for Africa C/o The Salvation Army Altona Corps (PO Box 15, Altona, VIC 3018) or ph: 03 9398 1750. __________________________________________________________ Deposit donation at any Commonwealth Bank: Account Name: Cycle for Africa. Account Number: 063101 1024 7526 __________________________________________________________ Donate Via Cheque Make payable to: Cycle For Africa __________________________________________________________ Deposit via PayPal __________________________________________________________ You can also show your support by downloading the poster and post it up in your local community or office. A4 Poster A3 Poster Instructions - Right click on "A4 or A3 Poster" and select Save Link As

Contact via email: cycle4africa@gmail.com ___________________________________

| African Enterprise : http://aeinternational.org/australia/ | Bread for the World: http://www.bread.org/ | Care: http://www.care.org/ | Make poverty History: http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/ | Micah Challenge Australia: http://www.micahchallenge.org.au/ | Oxfam Australia: http://www.oxfam.org.au/ | World Vision : http://www.worldvision.org/

My name is David Briffa. When I was a small boy my father gathered the whole family and emigrated from Malta to Australia. Shortly after, my father lost the use of his left hand in an industrial accident. This led to long hospital stays and the family fell on hard times.   My mother went without on many occasions simply to feed the family. Years later she shared with us the story of an old lady in uniform who approached her in a shop. She asked my mother why she always asked for broken biscuits at the counter. Shortly after that, we had our first experience with the Salvation Army. Mrs. Atkinson (the nice old lady in uniform) visited us in our leaky bungalow and gave us food vouchers and blankets.  After completing my secondary education I went to a Melbourne hairdressing salon and wouldn't leave the salon until the owner (Mr. Perry) gave me a job.  Following my apprenticeship, I headed across the Nullarbor to Perth, WA. There I stayed with a beautiful family who worked with Aborig

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