Dar Lighting employee hopes to shed light on preventable road deaths

A family tragedy has inspired a member of the team at Dar Lighting in Banbury to get on his bike and take on an epic challenge for charity.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Feb 2018, 10:42 BST
Updated 2nd Feb 2018, 10:43 BST
Alfred Chipembele NNL-180129-105912001Alfred Chipembele NNL-180129-105912001
Alfred Chipembele NNL-180129-105912001

Alfred Chipembele has signed up to a global effort to prevent road deaths in his native Zambia and is just starting his training. He is looking to take part in Transaid’s Cycle Zambia 2018 in September.

This will see him cycle 490 kilometres from Lusaka to the Victoria Falls in Zambia, with the goal of contributing £3,650 to the charity’s work in Africa.

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Transaid aims to change lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport, empowering people to build the skills they need to transform their own lives.

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Alfred Chipembele, who works for Dar Lighting, will be cycling across Zambia to raise money for charity. NNL-180131-130241001Alfred Chipembele, who works for Dar Lighting, will be cycling across Zambia to raise money for charity. NNL-180131-130241001
Alfred Chipembele, who works for Dar Lighting, will be cycling across Zambia to raise money for charity. NNL-180131-130241001

In sub-Saharan Africa World Bank statistics show road deaths are the third biggest killer after HIV/AIDS and malaria and the problem rises with the growing population.

So far the charity has partnered with the Industrial Training Centre Trust (ITC) to build the Zambia Professional Driver Training initiative, which has been expanded into Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi.

Alfred said: “I have joined colleagues on a campaign mission to create road safety awareness in an effort to reduce road traffic accidents in Zambia and Africa in general.

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“In March 2008 my own elder brother Millios Tembo, a professional driver who was just two years away from his retirement, lost his life together with his friend at a zebra crossing after being hit by a minibus driver in Lusaka.

Alfred Chipembele, who works for Dar Lighting, will be cycling across Zambia to raise money for charity. NNL-180131-130241001Alfred Chipembele, who works for Dar Lighting, will be cycling across Zambia to raise money for charity. NNL-180131-130241001
Alfred Chipembele, who works for Dar Lighting, will be cycling across Zambia to raise money for charity. NNL-180131-130241001

“I believe many such horrific accidents can be prevented if driver training and government road safety policy makers put more emphasis on the importance of road safety and driving standards.

“The prevalence of road traffic accidents in Zambia cannot be over emphasised, destroying lives and delaying the economic and social progress of the nation.

“It is for these reasons and in memory of all those loved ones who have been lost as a result of reckless driving and defective vehicles that I have decided to be part of the Cycle Zambia challenge.”

You can support Alfred by donating on his JustGiving page. You can also tweet support using the hashtag #teamalfred.

He has to reach his fundraising target before July.

Related topics:BanburyAfrica