David Livingstone was born in Blantyre, Glasgow, Scotland. He studied medicine and trained to be a missionary. He then spent most of his life exploring Africa.
He was a keen adventurer and led successful expeditions in his early years on the African continent. In 1849 he crossed the Kalahari Desert to reach Lake Ngami in Botswana a feat for which he was awarded the Patrons Medal by the Royal Geographical Society.
He also received recognition from the government and media at the time and this allowed him to plan more ambitious expeditions with increased financial backing.
Unfortunately, some of his later expeditions, particularly his Zambezi expedition, were less successful and this damaged his reputation as an explorer.
He then remained out of contact for several years until he was found by the American Stanley, who uttered the now famous words “Dr Livingstone I presume?”
Livingstone spent years trying to help stop the East African Slave Trade, writing letters and keeping accounts of everything he saw. His last expedition, to try and find the source of the River Nile, was partly designed so that he could re-capture his previous fame to be able to influence the abolition of the slave trade, however sadly he succumbed to severe illness and died in 1873 aged 60.
Unfortunately, a few years after Livingstone’s death, his records and journals were seen as evidence that Africa was a continent filled with resources, there for the taking.
This contributed to the "Scramble for Africa," the consequences of which are still being felt across the continent today. Despite this, Livingstone is held in good regard within present day Zambia and Malawi.
Part of the expedition is to understand Livingstone's legacy in modern day Zambia and also explore the ongoing impact of some of the diseases he faced.
When we first started planning the expedition 8-12 months ago, we were focused on the idea of revisiting David Livingstone's journeys and being modern day "digital missionaries" through working alongside the Virtual Doctors.
The idea of "spreading light" through solar lanterns has evolved organically as part of the expedition's identity and since we first started these discussions, the need for solar lighting and power to ensure clinics can remain operational has increased drastically.
If you want to find out more about Dr David Livingstone and his life, you can visit the David Livingstone Birthplace Museum, which is located in Blantyre Glasgow, in the UK.
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