‘I loved every second’: Fed rep reflects on Africa charity trip
31 October 2024
Travelling to Africa on a charity expedition made for ‘one of the best few weeks of my life’ says West Mercia Police Federation representative Rob ‘Swoosh’ Seewoosaha.
In September, Rob and a group of volunteers with an emergency service background set off for the west coast of the continent to deliver a set of disused ambulances and fire engines to a community in The Gambia.
The mission was organised by the Emergency Services Aid Charity and involved travelling over land and sea in the vehicles themselves, all the way from the UK to The Gambia in three convoys.
Rob, who was part of the second convoy, made the mammoth journey in an ambulance – which had the nickname ‘Lance’ – alongside four other volunteers, including Federation member and fundraising partner Chris Fowler.
Rob (front, right) joined by his team in 'Lance' the ambulance - the
vehicle they drove all the way to The Gambia
“It was an absolutely incredible trip. When I met up with everyone at the start and saw the fleet of vehicles all lined up, waiting for us to take thousands of miles into another continent, I knew it was going to be something special," he said.
“When I first got into ‘Lance’, it was an exciting but slightly strange feeling, knowing the ambo was going to the place I’d spend most of my life in for the next 20 days.
“The team I was with were a dream, and we were connected through a walkie-talkie to the rest of the convoy, sharing directions, instructions, jokes, stories and quiz questions over the air. The charity trustees who conducted the convoy from start to finish did a sterling job, too – it certainly wasn’t always easy.”
Ambulance
Taking driving responsibilities in turns throughout the journey, Rob’s team consisted of Chris, lifelong friend James, currently an officer at Dorset Police, and two overseas cops he had never previously met – Jason, from Australia, and Gusty, from Iceland.
The group slept on the front seats and stretcher of the ambulance and in tents as they made their way through Southern Europe, reaching Gibraltar, where they would board a ferry taking them to the top of Africa.
But before the fleet could reach its final destination, setbacks had to be dealt with – three days of travel were lost as they faced complications with being granted clearance to continue their journey upon arrival in Morocco.
Torrential rain made a 22-mile dry mud road in Mauritania virtually unpassable, leading to Rob’s convoy becoming stuck for over eight hours and convoy three – which included a four-by-four ambulance car named in honour of late West Mercia officer Andy Boardman – unable to make progress for another three days.
Rob with The Gambia's Fire and Rescue Service during the vehicle handover
“The continent threw everything at us,” Rob explained.
“Border delays, sweltering heat, mosquitos we had to be very careful to avoid, and rain, which we were told there wasn't a drop of for months before in Mauritania, were just a few obstacles.
“We were literally stuck in the mud, and it was only through a lot of perseverance that we pushed the vehicles through to more stable ground with our hands.
Physical effort
“It was a massive physical effort, but what I remember even more fondly was how we kept each other’s spirits up through hard moments like these. I can honestly say the overall morale never dipped, and I think that is testament to the amazing people I was sharing all of this with.”
After passing through one more country in Senegal, the fleet finally arrived in The Gambia on Saturday 28 September, with all three convoys joining together on the final straight to a jubilant reception from local civilians.
“It’s hard for me to describe the feeling I got as we drove through the country in blue lights and sirens, with people coming out of their houses to applaud and wave at us.
“It was an emotional overload, to be honest.
“They were so grateful for all of our work and for the vehicles themselves. Delivering this mission to a country with a less developed infrastructure really reminds you of how lucky we are in the UK,” Rob added.
The 49-year-old spent the next few days celebrating and socialising before making his way back home on Wednesday 2 October, catching a flight from The Gambia’s capital city of Banjul.
Charity
He says he left the nation with a strong sense of satisfaction and achievement and also expressed his pride at the £6,070 raised between himself and Chris for the charity.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank any Federation members and police colleagues who donated to me and Chris. It’s something we will always be grateful for as it enabled us to do this trip.
“I enjoyed it so much and I think I’ve had the ‘desert blues’ since returning home. It was unbelievable seeing this part of the world in all its beauty and vastness as we passed through plains of the Sahara.
“I also made some incredible friends – I have already arranged to go over to Iceland to see Gusty next February.
“In a way, it doesn’t feel like I really did it all. But I did, and I honestly loved every second,” Rob ended.
You can still donate to the Emergency Services Aid Charity by visiting Rob and Chris’ JustGiving page.
