Sanna Ghotbi and Benjamin Ladraa are bike travelers and activists from Sweden, who are on an epic 2-year, 48 000 km journey through 40 countries to Western Sahara. By the time they are done, they will have traveled more than the length of the equator!

This epic trip is not just for fun; they are dedicated activists raising awareness about human rights worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of refugees live in the African desert awaiting a UN referendum that is very slow to happen. Western Sahara is one of the worst areas for human rights violations, second only to North Korea.

This genuinely inspiring couple has already gotten many heartwarming messages from Sahrawi refugees who are following their journey. Sanna and Benjamin have taken on an immense challenge but hope to raise enough awareness to make at least a small impact.

5 Interesting Facts about Sanna and Benjamin’s Solidarity Rising tour:

• They are traveling through densely populated cities such as New Delhi, Beijing, and Tokyo, as well as the harsh Sahara Desert (2000 km in the desert, to be exact).
• By the end of their tour, they will have ridden up and down the equivalent of 27 Mount Everests!
• They will meet with human rights organizations in all 40 countries they visit to learn about critical global issues.
• They are filming a documentary series about their journey and the amazing people they meet.
• Their trip will take them to refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, where around 150 000 refugees have little to no access to food and water.

Learn more about Sanna & Benjamin on their website, Solidarity Rising. Follow them and their cause on Instagram at @solidarityrising and on Facebook.

Join our community at Warmshowers.org, follow us on Instagram @Warmshowers_org, and visit us on Facebook. Contact Tahverlee directly at [email protected].

Today’s episode of Bike Life was guest hosted by Jerry Kopack, Warmshowers Board member and finance chair.

Theme Music by Les Konley | Produced by Les Konley

Happy riding and hosting!