Refarm Africa Founders - Refarm Africa

Founders

Who are the people behind this project?

The story of how the founders of this project came together is quite special. In 2012 Kevin organised a kayak expedition over the Gambia river. Musa and Jerreh, two Gambian friends joined Kevin in his mission to conquer the river. A journey that the boys nearly survived and created a bond for life.

How the river brought us together

How climate-change is affecting farmers in the Gambia

Crazy ideas have a way of bringing people together and that’s exactly what happened to us. In 2012, Kevin had grown tired of life in the Netherlands; it had started to feel a little too predictable. So he decided to organize his own kayak expedition down the Gambia River 800 kilometers through untouched jungle.

Two friends joined him on the journey. Jerreh was the first to climb into the kayak, and Musa later became part of the team thanks to his knowledge of local tribal languages. Together, they spent 80 days on the river, navigating their way to the Atlantic Ocean near the capital, Banjul.

This is the trailer of our expedition

Check our documentaries

Project founder Kevin was interviewed by the Gambian national broadcaster, GRTS TV, to discuss these issues.

The river learnt us a lot. During our journey, we witnessed massive bushfires, deforestation, disappearing groundwater, and extreme poverty. The Gambia may not receive the same media attention as the Amazon, but its forests are disappearing at an equally alarming rate.

Confronted with these realities, we began asking ourselves how we could help create solutions to the challenges facing this country. We realized that farming is the key to change. Not farming as it is done today, but a new approach, one that makes burning and deforestation unnecessary, creates year-round employment, and is resilient to climate change. That is the kind of farming needed to address these issues. With our solution, we can address all of these challenges at once.

FOUNDERS

“The expedition was a life-changing experience for me, truly one of the best periods of my life. On the river, I felt completely alive. But the journey was far from safe, and without these guys, I would not have survived it. When I returned home, I felt a strong need to do something back—not only to the people who saved my life, but also to The Gambia, the country I had fallen in love with.”

Kevin de Zwart, the Netherlands

“Through our expedition, we proved that we could achieve what few people dare to attempt. It was during that journey that we began to truly see the challenges facing The Gambia—bushfires, deforestation, and widespread unemployment.

Now, eleven years later, Kevin and I still speak every night. Together, we’ve been working on something powerful—something that could change The Gambia forever. With this project, we can help create a future for my children and for the entire nation of the Gambia”

Musa Bah, the Gambia

Watch the movie

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