A Northumberland company director and motorcycle enthusiast has joined fellow big-hearted bikers on a trek across Lesotho. The group will learn how motorbikes are being used to save lives and deliver 20 vital new vehicles to a programme in the country.
Chris Berriman, Director at Merit Holdings, is part of a team of 12 riders and additional support staff who will ride the new Suzuki DR200s on a 10 day trek. The group will deliver the bikes to Riders for Health in Lesotho, where they will be used to provide life-saving healthcare in rural regions of the country.
The initiative is being organised by MotoGP™ charity Two Wheels for Life, where Chris is a non-executive director. The team departed the UK on 29th September and will ride through the bush and mountainous regions of Lesotho to deliver the new bikes.
Chris Berriman said:
“I’m really proud to be part of such an important initiative to save lives. One of the biggest challenges for health care across the rural regions of Lesotho is transport. Medics often have access to drugs and the necessary equipment, but the problem is getting them to people. There are places so remote that it would take days to walk to the nearest clinic. That’s why Two Wheels for Life’s work with Riders for Health is so important.”
The motorcycles will be used by doctors, midwives and nurses to deliver healthcare and medical care where it’s most needed in villages across the region. They are much more versatile and cost effective than other forms of transport and will enable health workers to see six times as many people as they would on foot. Using the bikes also allows patients to get HIV and other test results back in six days, when previously it could take up to six months, preventing diseases spreading and meaning treatment can start immediately.