Starts in Uno
Pepijn
ChefHospitality entrepreneur and boss of food and drink. Judges a campfire on both vibe and wine list.
Four drivers, two cars costing no more than €500 each, and 7,217* kilometers from Amsterdam to Banjul. For solar-powered streetlights and education for girls in Gambia.
We had to register as two teams for the challenge, so our cars each got their own name: Uno and Duo. In practice we're one crew of four. Along the way we swap cars and crew, so everyone drives in both cars.
Hospitality entrepreneur and boss of food and drink. Judges a campfire on both vibe and wine list.
Sorts everything out. The only one who, in the middle of the Sahara, still asks if everyone kept their receipts.
InstagramOur camel. Ran the Marathon des Sables this year and won't complain about the heat until the AC hits 18°C.
InstagramPhotography and promo. The only one who will chase the tent voluntarily when it gets blown away by the wind.
InstagramAt every border we rotate the crew: two people in Uno, two in Duo, and we swap again after the border.
In October we're climbing into two Citroën Berlingos for an adventure that takes us straight through Europe and the Sahara to Dakar. A journey of thousands of kilometers, with old cars, a good dose of perseverance, and undoubtedly the necessary challenges along the way.
There are four of us: two brothers, one of their sons, and a good friend. Pepijn, Boudewijn, Roel, and Kevan.
Of course we're looking forward to the adventure. To the stories we'll bring home, the special encounters, and everything we'll experience along the way. Honestly, we're going to have an awesome trip because we're taking part in the amsterdam – Dakar challenge. And this trip comes with good causes attached. We've covered our own trip ourselves – No worries. and we're putting a set amount toward the good cause.
But the more money, the better.
The Amsterdam Dakar Challenge has been supporting projects in Gambia for years. This year, everything is focused on education for vulnerable children and girls, and bringing light to villages through solar power.
To us, education feels like a given.
For many children in Gambia, that's anything but true.
A relatively small amount can make a world of difference there.
For €60, a girl receives a complete school kit that lets her attend school.
For €90, a family receives a solar kit. Not just light at home, but also the chance for children to do homework in the evening and keep learning once the sun goes down.
Those aren't big amounts.
But the impact is enormous.
Eight countries, two continents, one ferry, and a whole lot of sand. Uno and Duo swap the lead along the way.
The route to Dakar is long. Along the way we'll no doubt break down, get stuck in the sand, or have to improvise more than once.
That's part of it.
But every kilometer we drive ultimately stands for something far more important.
More opportunity.
More education.
More future.
After the trip, the cars are auctioned off for local projects. Alongside that, every team tries to raise as much as possible for the Amsterdam Dakar Challenge's causes.
We'd love to make a real contribution to that.
Thanks to everyone who bought a spot on Uno or Duo! All stickers have been sent to the printer, so placing one through the site is no longer possible. Below you can see who's riding along with us to Banjul.
One counter for Uno and Duo together. Everything that comes in goes to the projects in Gambia via the official team page.
Maybe you know us personally.
Maybe you just like following this adventure.
Or maybe, like us, you believe education is one of the finest investments there is.
However big or small your contribution: every euro helps.
Not to make our trip possible.
But to give kids the opportunities that feel so self-evident to us.
Want to support us?
Then we're incredibly grateful.
Together we turn a special adventure into something that makes a real difference.
Donations happen on the official team page — you can leave the team a challenge there too. Would rather have your logo on one of the cars? Drop us an email and we'll see what's still possible.