From Cape Town to Cairo: EDP supports Portuguese photographer who will cross 11 African countries on electric bike
With the aim of alerting to the impact of climate change and the urgency of opting for sustainable means of transport, Daniel Rodrigues will cover 14,000 kilometres in the next six months using only one e-bike.
Photographer Daniel Rodrigues has embarked on an unprecedented journey that will take him across 11 African countries on an electric bicycle over the next six months. The goal of this journey - which will take him from Cape Town (South Africa) to Cairo (Egypt) - is to promote sustainability, reduce the ecological footprint, and alert to the impact of climate change.
Winner of the World Press Photo in 2013, in the category of 'Everyday Life', with a photograph taken in Guinea-Bissau, and a contributor to the New York Times newspaper and other international publications, Daniel Rodrigues is sponsored by EDP in this project he called 'Capetown to Cairo'.
Although the route between Cape Town and Cairo is known by cyclists from all over the world, this will be the first time that it is done using an electric bicycle - in this case, entirely built in Portugal. The choice of this means of transport is thus a way of demonstrating the potential of e-bikes as an ecological and sustainable transport option for the future.
Of all the continents, Africa is one of the areas of the planet most impacted by climate change. Millions of people across Africa live under threat from its impact, facing historic drought in some parts of the continent and lethal rain and flooding in others.
Passing through 11 countries, with a total distance of approximately 14,000 kilometers, the journey by electric bicycle will be a physical and mental challenge over about six months. During the journey, Daniel Rodrigues will face diverse weather conditions and will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the effects of climate change in different regions of the African continent.
Along the way, Daniel Rodrigues will document his experiences through stories, photography and videos, using his talent as a professional photographer to visually convey the beauty, the challenges and the urgency of the fight against climate change, in addition to sustainability projects and access to clean energy that EDP has underway on the African continent.
Daniel Rodrigues believes that, through initiatives such as this, it is possible to inspire change and promote awareness about the importance of adopting sustainable means of transport and reducing the ecological footprint. An ambition of positive impact that led EDP to join the project from the first kilometer, on a journey that also has the support of other Portuguese companies, such as AtivoBank, Beeq, Fujifilm and Mbit.
