A travel photographer and filmmaker based in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital, Michael Ekow Dawson, along with two others, are set to travel on motorbikes across 37 African countries.
The trip, dubbed Borderless Africa, is to help measure the strength of Ghana’s passport, and the difficulty or ease of moving through borders as an African traveling to other countries.
The trio is expected to conduct this tour within 10 months or more, finally ending up in Addis Ababa. They will then present a petition to the African Union, detailing their experience and making a strong case for the removal of borders between African countries.
Speaking with Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, Mr. Dawson explained that while the primary aim of the tour was to promote an Africa that allows Africans to travel without border restrictions, as a photographer, the trip would help him document African culture.
“We have a petition that we have written. We would present it to the AU to discuss the removal of borders across Africa.”
“For me, it is more of a photographic journey where I am documenting African ethnic groups, traditions, and culture. I have realized that a lot of our historical moments are stored by ‘white people’. We have not documented our stories. Throughout this, I would create a body of work that would serve as an archive throughout Africa. Each country we visit, I would be documenting the people. My concentration would be on the people, their facial structures, their skin, and their food,” he said.
Before undertaking this trip, Mr. Dawson was an official photographer for Around In Seven. Around In Seven is a project that sees young people tour Ghana on motorbikes in seven days. The experience has been valuable for Mr. Dawson. He hopes to gain even more experience as he undergoes his 10-month journey.
“I will document whatever the experience is as a biker and then as a photographer,” he said.
Mr. Dawson is expected to meet his colleagues, and the trio would exit the country through Aflao. The trio would travel through Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and then Cameroon. Then they would begin to head towards the southern part of Africa.
Mr. Dawson is a spontaneous person who loves adventure.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga|Ghana
