King's alumnus completes his ultimate adventure for charity
King’s alumnus Kenn Bannister (MA Defence Studies, 2010) has arrived safe and sound in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Lt Colonel Bannister rode his motorbike solo, across six countries and the Sahara Desert to fundraise for King’s Sierra Leone Partnership. The money raised from the trip is intended to pay for specialists to be sent from the UK to work with partners, including the main tertiary hospital, in Freetown.
He set off on Friday 16 February and spent just over two weeks on the road covering 4,500 miles. The trip went relatively well despite the challenging terrain, including crossing No Man’s Land – a 5km deep minefield that divides Morocco and Mauritania – as well as tackling a big sandstorm in the Sahara Desert. Kenn noted that travelling through Guinea was demanding due to the condition of the roads, the heat and the humidity. Despite these challenges, with his network of contacts from the military, Kenn had a strong support system along the way.
Kenn also managed to fulfil his childhood dream riding part of the Paris-Dakar rally. The rally started in the 1970s, but for security reasons moved to South America in 2009. Some of the original route is now closed due to security reasons, so Kenn rode an alternative route through Mauritania and Western Sahara. Kenn says:
“Having ridden between Paris and Dakar and finishing on the shores of Lac Rose, it’s a brilliant feeling. I’ve fulfilled my aspiration of doing it, and in just 11 days. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment.”
He arrived in Freetown on 5 March, returning to Connaught Hospital later that week to meet the team from the King’s Sierra Leone Partnership. The KSLP Country Director, Dr Daniel Youkee, gave Kenn a tour of the hospital and provided an overview of the partnership way of working. Reflecting on his visit, Kenn said, “I know that the money raised will have a positive and significant impact on the health of current and future Sierra Leoneans.”
What’s next for Kenn? He says,
“King’s has two more health system strengthening projects in Somaliland and the Democratic Republic of Congo, so I’d be looking to do something for them. And the Iceland ring road is something I’d love to do in the summer.”
You can still make a donation to Kenn’s fundraising campaign, no matter how small, at his Virgin Money Giving page.
About King’s Sierra Leone Partnership
The King’s Sierra Leone Partnership was established in 2011, with an in-country operation based in Freetown since January 2013. The partnership aims to support the strengthening of Sierra Leone’s health system by working with partners to develop training, clinical services, policy and research. The team work by invitation, responding to the needs of their partners. The partnership is long-term and is based on reciprocal learning and mutual benefit. More: https://kslp.org.uk