HHP plans a Big Walk

The Hip Hop star is going on a 6-month walk - all the way from Mafikeng in the North West of South Africa up to Nairobi, in Kenya

Enthused by the concept of uniting Africa, Jabulani Tsambo aka HHP is taking 6 months out of his schedule to take a thought- provoking journey through part of the continent.

“I refer to my journey as Daraja, which means ‘bridge’ in Swahili. I want to build a bridge and unite African countries as I travel through them,” said Tsambo.

Tsambo, who is planning to embark on this journey in March 2012, still has to map out his route and sort out the political logistics such as getting through border posts.

“I am giving myself 6 months to complete the journey as anything can happen on the way.

"I could get injured, get blisters on my feet, or I could fall ill and be bedridden for weeks or whatever.

"Even though these things could happen, I want more than anything for this be an adventure.”

WHY IS HHP TAKING THIS PATH?

“I am firstly inspired by my grandfather who walked from Mozambique to South Africa. It took him about a month to do this - and now all of my family, so many of us, are descendant from him and living here in SA. I am living proof of that and who knows what this walk could do for many other Africans.

"Another reason that I want to do this is to highlight the fact that most people in Africa speak and understand Swahili – it is kind of the ‘English’ of Africa. We really should be starting to learn our own languages."

Tsambo also feels that the continent is separated in many ways.

“I refer to myself as a South African and not an African. I don’t want to be saying stuff like that.

"I think we should start to celebrate being part of one big beautiful continent. That’s one of the things that I am hoping to achieve whilst doing my walk."

WILL HE MANAGE TO WALK ALL THE WAY?

“I am driven by the fact that I could fail – people always ask me what has gotten me so far with my career till now, and I tell them that I have embraced failure and it has kind of made me the character that I am today.

“Even if I do fail in this adventure, then it will also have been a major achievement to have attempted it.

"Someday someone may take it up from where I leave it but I do see myself walking into Nairobi – it is gonna be awesome."

A CHARITABLE GUY

Another project that HHP is passionate about is HELP - the Hip-Hop Education and Literacy Programme, in America. He has teamed up with Ashereu (Gabriel Benn) who founded the initiative and is keen to bring the team to the North West province in South Africa.

"There is a huge amount of illiterate children worldwide and there is a perception that illiteracy leads some to a path of crime in their future.

"I want to use young people’s love of Hip Hop and their interest in music to help generate an interest in learning to read and attending school," HHP told Sowetan in an interview in May this year.

And in January this year, HHP, as part of a cultural exchange programme, committed to 'paying it forward' by performing at a BloomBars Benefit function in New York to raise funds to support up-and-coming artists plus create an awareness of different cultures in the music industry.

HHP also visited American schools, juvenile centres and colleges where he promoted HIV/AIDS and arts education initiatives.