AFTER finishing their final university exams, friends Ahmed Mashadani and Andreas Aristidou could be forgiven for wanting to relax.
But that will be furthest from their minds as they set off on a 3,000-mile bicycle ride – to deliver a bottle of water.
The pair are due to set off from the University of Nottingham's University Park campus on Friday, June 7, to ride to Laayoune in Western Sahara.
The reason for their gruelling efforts is to support the charity Water.
The pair hope that the symbolic gesture, as well as their fund-raising, will raise awareness of drought and the difficulty of finding clean and accessible water without the help of charities like Water.
Water works to create better access to clean water in Africa.
The trip comes just a year after Ahmed, 25, rode a 110cc scooter from the University of Nottingham's Malaysia campus, near Kuala Lumpur, to Nottingham. The trip was to raise money for the Red Cross.
The management student said this had given him a hunger for more challenging tasks.
He added: "We are going to deliver a bottle of water from the UK to one of the driest places on earth, where finding clean water is an extremely difficult task. With nearly a billion people without access to clean water on our planet it is a very pressing issue.
"This charity has been active in the African continent for quite some time. You can really see the differences they have made.
"Accessing water is a lifeline for all of us and is a fundamental right for everybody."
The pair hope to reach their destination by mid to late-August.
They haven't drawn up a definite route but are looking to travel south through France and towards Barcelona in Spain. They will head along the coast and towards Gibraltar before heading into Africa.
They will have just £350 each to spend, meaning they must take a fold-up tent with them to sleep in.
Ahmed and Andreas began training for their ride six months ago, using bikes in the gym.
Ahmed added: "When I went on my scooter ride I had a plan of my route but it became difficult to stick to at times.
"So I felt that the best thing to do this time was to have a rough idea, but we will take it as it comes."
Wendy Chapple, associate professor at Nottingham University Business School, is Ahmed's personal tutor.
She said: "I think this is a huge challenge, but if anybody can do it Ahmed can.
"It is a brilliant initiative that he has taken on to raise money and highlight an important issue."
To find out more information about the pair's journey visit their Facebook page or donate to their cause at my.charitywater.org/ the-waterboy-express
