Embarking on a journey that transcends mere physical challenge, a collective of 24+ Olympic, Elite, and Club rowers, are poised to navigate the untamed waters of Mozambique. Their mission is not just to conquer these formidable bodies of water but to harness the power of their endeavor to raise awareness and vital funds for clean water charities. Stuart Boynton (2017W) shared the following with us:

In July, I will join a group of 24+ Olympic, Elite, and Club rowers attempting to row two challenging bodies of water in Mozambique to raise awareness and funds for clean water charities. The expedition is the 4th part of the Row Zambezi Sculling Club's fundraising rows through the Zambezi and its major tributaries. Water is essential for rowing, and the club has been aligned with clean water and conservation charities since it started its charity rows in 2011, raising over $100,000 to date.

With the impending two years of drought in East Africa, we are redoubling our efforts to raise funds for Village Water, building and maintaining wells in schools and communities in Mozambique and Zambia. On this expedition, we will again unite a global team of rowers to take on a challenge never attempted before to raise awareness and money for clean water in Africa.

The 2024 expedition is a two-stage rowing expedition along the Zambezi and across Lake Cahora Bassa in Mozambique.

We depart from Tete in July, on the Zambezi heading towards the Indian Ocean. This stage of 600km comprises days covering water between 40km and 100km, navigating crocs and hippos. As we enter the final 250km of this leg, we expect the addition of sharks in the river coming in from the Indian Ocean.

Once we complete the river section, we return upriver on water and then land in Tete where we will see a changeover of some crew before we depart for Cahora Bassa. From the end of the river near the hydro dam, we will row back 'upstream' toward Zambia, crossing the border on water with Zambia ahead, Mozambique to our right, and Zimbabwe to our left. We are completing this final stage of our last expedition in Zambia where it all began in 2011.

The final leg takes us across Cahora Bassa some 350km into Zambia, reaching the confluence of the Luangwa River and the mighty Zambezi. Camping on some of the many islands, we will see the landscape change from mountain faces to wide-open expanses, passing crocodile breeding grounds where crocodiles lay some 20,000 eggs each year.

These rowers will have not only conquered rivers and lakes but also ignited a beacon of hope for countless lives. With the funds raised and countless wells built, their legacy will extend far beyond the ripples of their wake.  We are reminded that the true measure of an expedition lies not in its distance covered, but in the lives it touches and the futures it transforms.

To be part of this and for more information on the expedition and if you would like to donate please visit https://www.rowzambique.com.