A former American teacher, Brian Stupek, has taken it upon himself to embark on a 10,880-kilometre walk across the African continent to spread awareness about sound mental health. 

Stupek's initiative Walking Africa started in Cape Town on 26 June 2024 and is expected to end in Tunisia, northern Africa.

The 31-year-old Stupek is a former teacher and author who started planning a solo walk across the African continent to advocate for mental wellness three years ago. 

The California-born and raised Stupek is a big advocate of mental health, as he suffers from bipolar disorder, a mental disorder characterised by periods of depression and elevated mood swings. 

Stupek crossed into Namibia on day 27 of his walk, through the Noordoewer Border Post. 

It took the brave man 44 days to complete a distance of 795/2 kilometres between Noordoewer and Windhoek.

Apart from fighting harsh weather conditions, fatigue, and blisters, he says he also got to meet awesome people who shared conversations and meals and offered their support where they could to make his journey worthwhile. 

Some days and nights saw him camp along the road, but eventually, on day 48, he arrived in Windhoek, where he was welcomed by social media fans at the Police Road Block opposite Heroes Acre. 

Despite Stupek's journey being on mental health, he says he is also looking forward to sharing African cultural experiences at the same time. 

Stupek is accompanied by Gebhard Ashipala; the two met in Springbok, and Ashipala excitedly jumped on the adventure as Stupek's cameraman. 

Doing about eight hours a day of walking, Stupek believes his journey will take him about two years to reach Tunisia. 

For now, they will be resting in Windhoek for a week before proceeding.