In Livingstone’s Footsteps
At this event we will have a presentation from Ben de Ponti, author of ‘In Livingstone’s Footsteps, Through the Heart of Malawi.'
From 1976 to 1979, Ben de Ponti worked as a dental surgeon in Mzuzu, Malawi. In 2007, Ben embarked on an extraordinary journey, retracing two of David Livingstone’s expeditions from 1861 and 1863, both on foot and by boat.
Ben documented this remarkable expedition in a book first published in Dutch in November 2019 by Elmar, Delft. Since then, Ben and his wife, Cobi, have returned to Malawi several times, most recently in August 2024. The book remains relevant and has now been translated into English. Titled "In Livingstone’s Footsteps: Through the Heart of Malawi," the book is available from the end of February. It spans 408 pages, printed in full colour, and is illustrated by Cobi.
Before undertaking the expedition, Ben meticulously studied Livingstone’s letters, journals, and notebooks at the Glasgow Livingstone Museum, the National Library in Edinburgh, and the Livingstone Museum in Zambia. They visited several locations in Africa where Livingstone had travelled.
In 2013, Ben was the final lecturer at the three-day Livingstone bi-centenary conference in the town of Livingstone, Zambia. During the expedition, Ben followed Livingstone's routes into the heart of Malawi (then Nyasaland), mapping the west shore of Lake Nyasa and exploring the watershed between the Luangwe River and Lake Nyasa. The journey took three months, during which Ben rediscovered parts of the Great Slave Route.
The book details the changes since 1863, the villages visited, the people met, and the organizational challenges faced. It alternates between Ben's experiences and Livingstone’s adventures over 140 years earlier. The book also highlights encounters with very old individuals whose grandparents were captured by slave traders. It is set to be translated into Chichewa and printed by Montfort Press in Balaka.
Now 73 years old, Ben is a dental surgeon who climbed Kilimanjaro in 2023. At the age of 56, Ben undertook the Livingstone walk. From 1976 to 1979, Ben worked at a missionary hospital in Mzuzu, Malawi. Since 1988, Ben has been the chairman of the Foundation Friends of St John’s, Mzuzu, supporting educational initiatives and providing school fees for students. All proceeds from the book go to Malawi.
The book will be available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting Malawi.
