Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday November 5, 2003
Karen Iley

Raised in a poor, single-parent family in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township, his mother out of work and his older brother in jail, Bafo seemed destined for the life of drugs, disease and crime that has claimed so many of his peers.

But in just a few years, Bafo has transformed himself into both an expert sailor and an environmental crusader, a role model for underprivileged African youth.

Part of a team combining experienced mariners and enthusiastic youngsters, Bafo is circumnavigating Africa in the 61-foot INSPIRE! yacht "2041," stopping off in Luanda and other port cities to encourage young people to look after both themselves and their environment.

INSPIRE! is a socio-environmental organization which aims to make young people feel good about themselves, encouraging them to protect against HIV /AIDS and clean up the environment.

It is spearheaded by British explorer Robert Swan, the first man to walk to both the North and South Poles, who owns the yacht and has become Bafo's hero.

Bafo's own escape came after he leered at a group of "beautiful chicks" and trailed them to a youth HIV/AIDS awareness center near his home.

"I told my friends: 'Guys, I've got to get my hands on one of these ladies'," he told Reuters during the yacht's stop in the Angolan capital.

Although his initial intentions were far from honorable, seeing his peers playing basketball, learning to use computers and "talking about stuff I could relate to" at the community center struck a nerve.

"When I got there, what I saw was amazing. It touched me. I came out a different man. I wanted to be part of the solution and not part of the problem any more," he said.

Just over a year ago, Bafo signed up for lessons in the elite sport of sailing through "loveLife," an organization which tries to reduce high-risk sexual behavior by opening young South African eyes to alternatives.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the world's highest HIV/AIDS case load, with more than 29.4 million infected by the disease, United Nations figures show.

Sailing is just one of the entertainment, sports and educational activities organized by loveLife, which also appoints "groundBREAKERS" -- disadvantaged 18 to 25-year-olds recruited for a one-year internship to mobilize local action and promote positive, healthy lifestyles.

"Look at me. I'm black. I never knew anything about sailing. I thought it was only for brancos (whites)," said Bafo, one of 700 "groundBREAKERS" across South Africa.

Bafo sailed on "2041" earlier this year in the Cape to Rio (Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro) yacht race. Part of the Coca-Cola team -- the global drinks group is a partner in the circumnavigation and funds the lion's share of its cost -- he has been hooked on the ocean ever since.

He is now a permanent "2041" crew member, an environmental ambassador perfectly at home debating AIDS and sustainable development with heads of state, such as the prime ministers of Mozambique and Namibia.

JOURNEY WITH A MESSAGE

"2041" started its 16,800-mile voyage in April and has already covered a vast stretch of Africa's east cost from Mombassa in Kenya to Cape Town, also taking in Mauritius.

Since October, its crew of between seven and 14, including a rotation of youngsters and Coca-Cola employees, has worked its way up the West.

Most of the "groundBREAKERS" come from South Africa, but Coca-Cola has sent young local staff from Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia and Angola for shorter stints on the boat.

Bafo and the crew are joining forces with local youth and environmental groups, initiating activities such as beach clean-ups and "collect-a-can" schemes, while also spurring them on to take control of their own lives.

"Our idea is to get people started. If we can get them going, get them to take one little step, then another, before long, they've achieved something," said Derek Shuttleworth, the boat's skipper.

The mission has already come in for high praise from some leading figures.

The crew was delighted when Graca Machel, wife of South African statesman Nelson Mandela, caught up with them in the Mozambique capital Maputo and chatted for 40 minutes about all kinds of issues, including her vision for Africa.

Machel, widely admired across Africa, left a message in yacht's logbook: "Congratulations for taking up the challenge to embrace the future, preserve and protect it. More importantly, for empowering young people to be the makers of history and the future."

Bafo, for one, says he has been empowered by this opportunity of a lifetime.

"I'm the first guy in my family to do anything like this. When I go back home, some kids who saw me on TV said: 'Eric, I want to be like you.' I'm a positive role model for these young kids. Damn sure, I feel proud."

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