Author: Exclusive by Shirin Aguiar-Holloway
Report Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2005


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King of Africa puts on his walking shoes
A RASTAFARIAN singer is poised to pursue his dream of crossing Africa on
foot will be cheered on by friends and supporters on Friday at a farewell
party.



Chiozo: trip to help Africans
After months of preparation, reggae musician Jimmy Andersen, aka Chiozo
King of Africa, will leave London next week to begin walking 11,000 miles
from Cape Town to Cairo.

His mission is to help the continent, and especially women in rural
Africa, climb out of poverty by setting up a socio-economic structure, and
to help marginalised groups elsewhere.

Rastafarian Chiozo, who was born in Zambia but grew up in Kenya and
Tanzania and has also lived in Malawi, will embark on the mammoth
two-and-a-half-year mission, which will take him through war-zones,
deserts and 29 cities.

Diaspora

The aim is not just to throw charity at Africa but to use methods and
ideas already in place and tested by Africans. Chiozo is also keen to help
the African Diaspora and others in Britain to learn more about the great
continent.

Thirty thousand people dying a day in Africa needs an extraordinary effort

“It was a search for something that was true and real.  We have been
preaching Africa for so long it’s become an empty message.

"We need to go out and live there.  We need to be full-time.  Thirty
thousand people dying a day in Africa needs an extraordinary effort.”

He added: “Our people are suffering and dying.  Our village has 15 Aids
orphans at my mother’s door. Aids is not just a word. A lot of my friends
will not be around when I go home.”

Chiozo believes that rather than relying on solutions from Tony Blair, Bob
Geldof and the UN, solutions have to come from within Africa.

He points at the arms fair, which took place shortly after G8 and which
meant that certain African factions could purchase weapons to continue
killing themselves in proxy wars.

Network

“In the same month they have the arms fair, Bob Geldof and Tony Blair
blame the UN.  We will just go out and look out for those who are not
being looked after.  Solutions have to come from us, not from outsiders.”




   Have Your Say

He has been hard at work laying the groundwork for his trip which is not
simply a personal adventure but a public project.

He has gathered a network of supporters in the UK, Denmark, Germany,
France, Belarus and Poland, including business, churches and individuals.

This network is a key part of his strategy:  “The network I’ve built up in
the west will be very attractive to African businesses.  There are major
players in Africa.”

Most of the funds for his trip will be raised through music roadshows and
through business deals in Africa.  He will be releasing an album in Malawi
and selling a £1 flyer, which will be regularly replaced, at universities,
shows, music shops and online.

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