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
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)