Month: May 2007

The Giants Castle Challenge raised another R185 000 for the Trust this year  (with R133 000 raised by the riders alone) bringing the total raised since 1997 up to R1.646 Million!

Once again event organiser Bruce Houting pulled off an incredible event with participants commenting that the course was in the best condition it’s been in years.  Luckily for the riders the weather was on their side apart from a rather chilly start at -3 degrees celsius.

Thanks to all our sponsors and participants for your continued and incredible support.  For more information and to ensure a spot in next years event visit http://www.ecomotion.co.za/ or e-mail events@ecomotion.co.za

Results:

Category
Position
Name
Time

Mens
1st
Brandon Stewart
3:30:04 (new record)

2nd
Roan Exelby
3:37:50

3rd
Shaun Peschl
4:01:37

Ladies
1st
Tania Raats
4:22:04

2nd
Carla Germishuys
4:49:02

3rd
Sarah Van Heerden
5:00:39

Team
1st
Burg Wheelers

Noteworthy Achievements:

Highest individual sponsorship raised:
Brett Rheeders (R10 500.00)

Oldest rider to finish:
Arthur Duncan (Aged 72)

Youngest rider to finish:
Andrew Laing (Aged 16)

Riders finishing their 5th consecutive Challenge:
Juandre Else, Stuart Rose, Sacha d’Unienville, Jenny d’Unienville, Peter Meyer, Stewart Lombard, Pieter Botha, Mylene Loumeau, Lee Cumming, David Hands and Jeanne Gerber

Riders finishing their 10th Challenge (and receiving their permanent green number):
Simon Joubert, Allan Laing, André Els, Crawford Reid, Guy Price, Gary Pio, James Jordan and Wayne Dames

Sibonelo, like his fellow athletes, is a ‘tree-preneur’, working to grow indigenous trees to improve his livelihood, as part of the unique Indigenous Trees for Life programme. Add the Qhubeka initiative, a bicycle distribution programme and the Bonitas Wild Series, a series of sporting events held to raise funds for conservation, and you have the perfect mix that would turn this Workers Day into a day of fun, excitement and new experiences for all involved.

Indigenous Trees for Life, a Wildlands Conservation Trust initiative, has been running for over 4 years now. Based on the simple concept of teaching children to grow indigenous trees to support their livelihoods, it has grown to include more than 1500 ‘tree-preneurs’ from 13 communities around the province who have grown hundreds of thousands of trees and have been providing food, clothes and other goods for themselves and their families. Sibonelo has grown over 5000 trees since he started the project in 2006 and just recently ‘bought’ himself a bicycle for 150 trees.

The bike trading was introduced to the programme after partnering with the Qhubeka initiative which works towards distributing specially designed bikes into rural communities where children have to walk long hours to get to school and to shops. The bikes have been re-designed over the years to handle the tough terrain and to better suit the needs of the children including useful elements like bells, bike stands and a carry rack. 400 of these bikes were traded for trees and distributed into the eSikhawini community in the weeks before the event so the children had some time to get used to them before the big day.

The duathlon challenge forms part of the Bonitas Wild Series, a series of professionally run events held around the province in some of KwaZulu-Natal’s most beautiful conservation area’s such as the uKahlamba Drakensberg Park, a world heritage site. Community events are sometimes held the day before the main event to give the local children in the area a fun day out and get them involved in sport. The eSikhawini Community Challenge, with the help of sponsors Bonitas, Sunday Tribune, and Powerade was turned into a full-scale duathlon with all the banners, bells and whistles and even Triathlon South Africa officials to make sure the children had their helmets on and abided by the rules. Also partners in the event, Triathlon SA arranged for international tri-athletes, who where in the area for the Richards Bay BG Triathlon World Cup this weekend, to help get the children kitted up for their big day.

“It was such a wonderful day for the children” said Richard Mabaso, assistant programme manager of the Indigenous Trees for Life programme and MC on the day. Mabaso had the children racing for the finish (and spectators wild with excitement) whether the ‘tree-athletes’ were running in for 1st or 100th place. The children ran a 2km cross country leg, then came in for their bikes and a 6.6km mountain bike cycle and then back again out on the 2km run route to finish. Five local schools were involved on the day, “It was great to bring about the interaction between five local schools which had never met before in such an event” said Mabaso, “I think it has definitely built and strengthened the relationship between the schools.” “A special thanks to the sponsors, school principles, teachers, parents, tribal authority and other stakeholders for making this event possible” he said.

Sibonelo and each and every child who participated will be receiving a copy of the Sunday Tribune bearing their results as a keepsake. They also received medals and t-shirts and food and drinks on the day. The top three boys and girls also received prize money for their athleticism. Sibonelo didn’t come in first but at 13 years old he did come 6th in his age category and 23rd overall. “Life is better than before” Sibonelo said of being part of the trees programme, “and I am tired but I wouldn’t change anything about today”, “I had a great time”, he said with a big smile.

Please visit the Programmes page on this website for more about the Indigenous Trees for Life programme; www.qhubeka.com for more on the Qhubeka initiative and www.wildseries.co.za for more on the Bonitas Wild Series.
Winners

Boys
1st: SIMPHIWE MBAMBO 00:42:37
2nd: BRILLIANT DUBE 00:42:53
3rd: NQIBIZITHA NYAWO 00:42:54

Girls
1st: BALINDILE NDLOVU 00:45:23
2nd: NOMUSO GUMEDE 00:45:51
3rd: PHILILE MIYA 00:46:48

Indigenous Trees for Life, a Wildlands Conservation Trust initiative, has proved once again that not only money grows on trees, but also maize, personal care products and even clothes!  This week saw “Tree-preneurs” and their families from the Dube community, outside Richards Bay, choosing from an assortment of clothing from Mr Price as part of the projects goods-for-trees bartering system.

Indigenous Trees for Life is essentially an empowerment initiative aimed at giving those with very little hope, an inkling of it, and helping green our province at the same time.  The Tree-preneurs are identified through the schools as some of the most vulnerable children in the community.  Many are orphaned and all live in varying degrees of poverty.  A dedicated team of facilitators then teach the children to grow indigenous trees which they then plant and care for until they reach a certain height.   They then sell the trees back to the Wildlands Conservation Trust, providing a direct income for the household and proving that money actually can grow on trees!

The maize, personal care products, and clothes all form part of the projects innovative bartering system, dubbed “Tree Stores”.  The children are encouraged to spend their ‘currency’ wisely and the Tree Stores are a way to help channel this.  The Indigenous Trees for Life Tree Store stock has largely consisted of donations from Unilever, East Coast Radio’s Toy Story Campaign, Gift of the Givers, Hillcrest Rotary, the Qhubeka initiative (an Axiz computers mobility program), and most recently a truckload full of clothes and shoes from Mr Price worth over R100, 000.

“The clothes from Mr Price are a great development for the Tree Stores” said Programme Manager Charmaine Veldman.  “A lot of these children only ever get second, third or fourth generation hand-me-downs so for them to be able to trade their trees for new clothes like this is wonderful!” said Charmaine.  “Although food is always a priority” says Charmaine, “the clothes will go a long way to building the self-esteem of these kids and giving them hope for a better future”.

Head of Social Investment at Mr Price, Natasja Ambrosio was “blown away” by the project.  Natasja alluded to the extensive impact of the project and said: “What I love about this project is that it impacts so broadly; it addresses education, job creation, poverty alleviation and environmental issues, and nothing is just a hand-out”.  “The children have put effort into growing their trees and they are being rewarded for it”, she said.

Many of the children bartered some of their trees for clothes for their family members as well.  “It was very touching to see the children taking their mom’s and guardians up to choose clothes for themselves” said Natasja.  “It’s amazing to see the pride in a 10 year old child who is now able to support his family” she said.  “Mr Price are very proud to be part if this project”, said Natasja.

Glen Gore, a Team Wild athlete and top-spot contender for the Sibaya Durban Triathlon (Sunday 27th May), holds up the Felt bicycle up for grabs in the event’s lucky draw.  You don’t have to be as strong as Glen to pick up this R35 000 Time Trial Bike – you can pick it up with your baby finger!

This much-anticipated event is the first of its kind offering unique distances, sliding in between the traditional “standard” and “ultra” distances. The event, held on Sunday 27th May, incorporates a 1.6km swim, a 60km cycle and 16km Run. All levels of triathletes will enjoy a unique race set in a new and challenging environment made possible by title sponsors Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom. A broad range of categories are open that cater for top athletes, age group athletes as well as team entries.  The event is part of the Bonitas Wild Series, a series of 11 events aimed at raising funds for conservation in KZN.

Starting at Umdloti beach, participants can look forward to a fresh early morning sea swim, followed by a challenging foray onto the picturesque North Coast and finished off with a challenging trail run through the Sibaya farm estate. With a healthy prize purse of R30 000 made possible by Bonitas Medical Fund, most of SA’s top triathletes will be battling it out for overall line honours. In addition there are two main lucky draw prizes for participants of a Felt Carbon Fibre Time Trial Bicycle valued at R35 000 and a return air ticket to Europe sponsored by Lufthansa.

The 2007 Sibaya Durban Triathlon will honour the memory of triathlete Julie Frasier who was tragically killed in cycling accident, only weeks after participating in another Wild Series event, the Duel Ultra Triathlon in January this year.

For more information on the event contact 083 647 5372 or visit www.durbanultra.co.za and visit www.wildseries.co.za for more information on the Wild Series.