Reaction to walk 'overwhelmingly positive'
On Tuesday, he took the last steps of his walk of 321 km over 11 days.Elago Nantana embarked on the walk that he started on 13 July in Okahandja and ended more than a week later in Walvis Bay, under the banner of the Mental Peace Walk, to raise awareness of men's mental health and unity in communities.
During Elago's walk, an initiative of The Delivery Room Foundation, he walked 30 km during the day and rested at night where he camped. He had to carry his camping gear and equipment with him and stopped at towns on his route to talk to the residents and share a message of hope and encouragement which led to several meaningful conversations.
The focus was always on mental health and according to Elago, who spoke to between 50 and 100 people every day, the response was "overwhelmingly positive".
His walk also drew a huge response on social media with more than 200 000 people following his progress on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
During the walk, several people stopped by Elago to either help with water or to encourage him. The Namibian police and buses also made sure he was safe.
"Thank you to the Namibian police, the van driver and the people of Namibia for your incredible support and hospitality. Your warm and caring hearts made this trip possible. God bless Namibia, let there be peace in our country," Elago said.
Future plans are to distribute a booklet that focuses on mental health under the banner of the foundation in all the towns he visited in local languages. Free conferences for men are also planned in these towns, with several speakers offering practical solutions and support for challenges that men experience with their mental health.
Elago walked from Oranjemund to Katima Mulilo in 2022 and from Otavi to the Oshikango border post last year - a total of 2 620 km on local roads. – [email protected]