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Two Cape Town-based friends, Cassian Tulleken and Marcel Bovijn, are travelling on motorbikes from Cape Town up to Croatia along the west coast of Africa to raise funds for Operation Smile South Africa.

 

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after what felt like decades of delays we finally managed to get out of here! ? . feeling blessed to have such incredible people at the send off ?? . a huge thank you to all the people who have been involved in the preparations and especially to those who have made donations already! it’s day 1 and we’ve already nearly raised enough cash dolla for a smile!! . the link to donate can be found in our bio?? . yeeeewww!! . . #westcoastwander #operationsmile #klr650 #frothcity #shakamahalobro

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Tulleken and Bovijn departed from Cape Town on April 25 2019.

The pair said they chose to raise money for Operation Smile “because of the amazing work they are doing bringing dignity and improved quality of life to individuals without the financial means of getting correctional surgery for their cleft lips and/or palates,” said the pair in a statement.

Tulleken, 25, left his job in order to carry out this journey with a cause. Bovijn, 24, is between studies with his masters starting in August. This was the perfect time for the two to embark on this lifetime adventure.

‘The decision to quit my job [of] sailing the seven seas and take on this incredible journey has been one of the best I’ve made and I’m sure this trip will be life changing to say the least,’ Tulleken said on Instagram.

The pair have crossed through South Africa into Namibia and are now currently in Angola. There have been some bumps along the way, including damages to their bikes and both falling ill, but these hiccups have not taken away from their determination.

Both Tulleken and Bovijn will be doing the journey on KLR650 motorcycles.

If you want to donate to the cause and help fix some smiles, click here.

Each surgery costs R5500 and the pair’s goal is to raise enough money to fix 20 smiles.

 

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a closer look at the ordeal we encountered shortly after arriving in Angola ? . 1. crossing the kunene river and saying cheers to Namibia was an amazing milestone in the journey, little did we know what awaited us not too far up the road . 2. the initial damage assessment, things not looking too good and a lot of head scratching going on from the both of us ? . 3. what initially felt like a brick wall turned into an amazing lesson on patience, teamwork and bush mechanics ?? . 4. the flies were absolutely unbelievable, doing all they could to make the situation that much more frustrating while we were doing all we could to work in a calm environment ??‍♂️ . 5. fire = morale ? plus, flies hate smoke so it was a win win to get camp set up early and step away from the bike for a while.

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To stay updated on their exciting trip, follow them on Instagram @thewestcoastwander.

Image source: Instagram @thewestcoastwander

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