Valentin Gain, a 24-year-old from Landeronde, France, has just completed a 16-month journey, travelling over 12 400 kilometres on foot to reach Cape Town.
According to Cape Argus, Gain undertook the adventure so he could experience diverse cultures and lifestyles.
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‘I live in a small village in the western part of France. The trip aimed to see different ways of living, different thinking and different cultures. I wanted to see how people are surviving who are not fortunate enough,’ Gain explained.
Gain planned his route to journey through 19 countries, starting from France and Spain in Europe and then venturing through multiple African countries. Before we go, you might also be interested in the best camping sites in Limpopo.
‘I found that in the villages, people don’t have a lot of money, but many of them know a lot of things about their environment and can feed themselves. In the cities, it is more difficult because there are still poor people, and it is difficult to survive. You can be poor with money but rich in other ways.’
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Setting off with just 3 000 euros, Gain relied on the hospitality of local villages, police stations and churches for shelter.
‘In the villages, I would go see the chief and ask for shelter. In the towns, I would go to Catholic churches, and I also had my tent,’ he said.
However, Gain’s adventure was not without challenges. He faced health setbacks, including bouts of malaria, and struggled with adapting to the local food and water in Africa.
Now in Cape Town, Gain has made an appeal for assistance to return to France.
‘The only solution is to take a plane, so I would like assistance from anyone to help me. If some people are going to the north of Africa or any country in Europe with a cargo plane, I could go in the cargo hold,’ he pleaded.
He’s open to offering social media promotions in exchange for sponsorship.
Currently, Gain is staying with various Cape Town residents, moving from one host to another daily. He can be contacted on Whatsapp at +33 619 837 826 for those willing and able to assist in his journey home.
Details of Gain’s adventure have been noted on PolarSteps, although reading the entries may require Google Translate.
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Picture: Valentin Gain / PolarSteps
