Nepalese cyclist pedals for peace in S. Sudan
By Julius N. Uma
December 21, 2011 (JUBA) — He speaks with relative calm and carries a
clear message. That is a person who can also contribute to world peace and a
sustainable environment through cycling.
where people live in peaceful and good environment.
“At age 10, I ran away from home and made a treacherous journey to the
capital city [of Nepal], Kathmandu. Leaving home meant one less mouth
for my parents to feed. In the city, I had planned to find a work and
send money to help my parents feed and raise my six siblings,” he
narrates, two days ago before to leave Juba heading to Kampala.
But faced with hardships and homelessness, Sherpa says he had no
choice rather than to adopt and develop instincts and skills to
survive in the bustling city.
“I started washing dishes in restaurants and did odd manual jobs,” he
recalls. But having discovered his real entrepreneurial strength years
later, Sherpa owned a restaurant and clothing store.
On December 25, 2003, the Nepalese lad opted to leave home and start
his passionate journey of pedaling around the world to promote peace
and created awareness of the environmental issues around the universe.
“Cycling is my foremost passion and I have been cycling around the
world since 2003 advocating for peace and environmental protection,”
the 31-year old cyclist told Sudan Tribune.
Through cycling, Sherpa intends to encourage the use of bicycles
instead of automobiles, which are not only costly, but also a menace
to the environment in which we live.
The Nepalese biker’s goal is to visit 151 countries in the world by
2020. To-date, however, he has visited 77 countries, covering over
81,765km in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, Caribbean, Central
and South America as well as African.
“I hope I have inspired people whom I have met to think that there
are practical alternatives like cycling to our modern lifestyles,” he
confidently says, adding that, “We should all live in a social harmony
and with great cohesion.”
As part of his advocacy, Sherpa engages non-governmental
organizations, individuals and community leaders, identify notable
problems at stake and devise remedies deemed fit for addressing them.
In one of the files, the Nepalese carries along contained several
appreciation letters, accolades and acknowledgment documents mainly
from various city mayors, the Australian government and the European
Union commission.
On peace prospects in South Sudan; the 77th country he visited, Sherpa
urged leaders in Africa’s newest nation to champion preach peace and
unity among the population after decades of the bloody civil war.
Meanwhile the renowned biker has so far toured Sudan, Uganda, Kenya,
Egypt and Ethiopia, with Rwanda as his next destination.
(ST).