In a recent GhanaWeb Special with Etsey Atisu, the team lead of AIS, Daniel Ashrifie, discussed the dynamics of the annual event as well as details on the trip to Senegal, including the challenges faced.
“AIS has become an event; it is not a group per se. So, who does 2025 will not necessarily do 2026, and will not necessarily do 2027. Every year, those who want to embark on the tour do so. This year, we had eight people, seven guys and one lady, so I don’t call it a group. It’s an event where people come together to achieve a particular aim. For instance, this group came together to achieve a ride to Senegal. After, it will be dissolved, and a new group will be formed for the next event,” he stated.
According to Daniel, some challenges the group faced included language barriers, border delays, logistics, and financial constraints. He disclosed that the team had to pay $350 per border despite having all their documentation in order.
The journey, initially planned to last 15 days, extended to 17 days.
“When we got to Guinea, there was a fuel shortage. How were we going to move?” he shared.
“We were very fortunate that one station owner had mercy on us and gave us fuel,” he added.
Despite all the challenges, Daniel, who had his wife riding along with the team, described the feeling of the trip as worth the struggle.
He emphasized that beyond the thrill of riding through multiple countries, the team engaged in public road safety advocacy and education, bringing attention to the safety of bikers for other road users.
“It is fulfilling to set a target and achieve it. We said we were going to Dakar, Senegal, and we were able to achieve it amidst all the struggles. So, it’s fulfilling to do that. We wanted to do road safety advocacy; there is something we call ‘Look Twice for Motorcycles.’
“A motorcycle is easily on the blindside of a driver, so sometimes when someone is taking a turn, they don’t see you, and then they push you off the road, and the motorcycle is the biggest loser on public road space. So, we do this campaign called ‘Look Twice for Motorcycles’ to remind other road users that there are motorcyclists on the road. And so, we did that advocacy in all the countries we visited,” he said.
With a diverse team of adventurous professionals from different backgrounds, AIS, on their journey to Dakar, saw the participation of an American citizen who flew into Ghana just to join the trip.
The team’s documentary videographer, who was initially scheduled to travel with the team in an escort vehicle, also ended up with his own riding experience.
“It was a big challenge for me; I didn’t want to disappoint in the sense that if someone is entrusting you with their bike, you don’t want to do any damage to it. Mind you also; I was riding with a front flat tyre,” Ekow, who had to replace a biker who ended the journey due to a health condition, shared his experience.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
