Man to walk 13 000kms across Africa in a crusade for wheelchair accessibility
ROSEBANK – Support Brazilian José Castro on his journey to raise awareness concerning barriers of accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Brazilian José Castro (62) is walking 13 000kms through Africa, pushing a wheelchair, to raise awareness about the architectural barriers for people with disabilities.
Castro, who is a member of the Lions Clubs International, began raising awareness about the cause in Rosebank before setting off for Jagersrust in KwaZulu-Natal, where his journey will begin on 3 November.
He expects the trip to take a maximum of one year and four months to complete. He will journey through over 450 cities across South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, completing his trip in Alexandria, Egypt.
“The project aims to attract attention to one of the main problems that affect disabled people all over the world – architectural barriers… Only by eliminating the architectural and social barriers that make it difficult for disabled people to actively participate in all aspects of social life, will we have a fairer and more humane world,” said Castro.
He will give talks in schools along the way and address authorities in various cities requesting that they create one ramp for every corner and rectify the troubling levels of accessibility. “Africa is one of the continents with the least accessibility,” he said.
But this is not Castro’s first journey of this nature. He has already completed a similar walk for accessibility across 10 700kms in Brazil. He also completed a 17 300km journey from Paris to South Africa on a child pedal go-kart, raising awareness of eye problems including cataract and glaucoma.
Having travelled across 74 countries through his various endeavours, Castro said he is on a mission to make a difference in the world, one step at a time.
He is travelling light with only 20kgs of luggage including clothing, a tent, supplies and the wheelchair itself. He aims to travel an average of 33kms each day to reach his goal.
While the physical challenge of walking over 10 000kms is tough, Castro said that mental preparation is key. “I know I have a place to go each day and sometimes it’s about telling myself to just get around the next corner.
“When I arrive at Alexandria and look behind me, I will feel assured that I have done my best to accomplish my goal. When people see what I am doing, I hope they will begin to think differently about how they treat people with disabilities.”
If you are able to support Castro’s journey in any way, email lionjosecastro@gmail.com
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