Hilton College teacher and Kolisi Foundation do 500km to raise R500 000
With hopes of raise money to educate children in his community, Kwanda Sibiya and 5 others embarked on a 500km cycling and running fundraising initiative.
On Youth Day, June 16, Hilton College Science teacher Kwanda Sibiya and other partners saw it as the perfect day to kick off their 500km cycling and running initiative. They'll be carrying out this initiative until 23 June 2021 with the hope of raising R500 000 for two children's education.
Kwanda embarks on this journey with Sport for Lives together with the Kolisi Foundation (founded by Siya and Rachel Kolisi). Launching the Sport for Lives, ManguziEdition, Kwanda will lead a team of 6 participants as they begin their journey from Hilton College to cycle and run a distance of 500km to reach the small town of Manguzi in eight days.
We had the chance to chat with him and learn more about this beautiful initiative before they hit the road.
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Sibaya's upbringing was not smooth at all. "Our father passed away when I was six or seven, our mother was a housewife. And she had to learn quickly after the passing of our dad to bring food to the table for the kids", he describes. Everyone in the community then also had a hand in helping him go from being merely the "the son of a cabbage farmer" to Hillcrest College Science teacher among other accolades. It was this sense of a community collectively chipping in however they could to help them that inspired the conception of Sport for Lives, Manguzi Edition.
He further takes us through the dire conditions and how he journeyed from there to his current space:
The two kids the team will be running and cycling 500km for are Sibiya's orphan neighbours in his hometown of Manguzi. He hopes to be able to sponsor their education for an entire year. "I have known the grandmother of the kids and the mother. The mother and I grew up together and she passed away last year," Sibiya shares. "So when I look at these kids, I remember my times as a child, I really had sort of the same setup," he continues.
I just want them to understand and to learn from me that it's really not about who you are or where you come from. It's about grabbing every opportunity.
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Sibiya shares the how the fundraising will occur, where prospective, willing and interested donors can contribute and how everyone can track their journey:
In closing, when Sky jokingly asked how fit the team was, Kwanda responded profoundly. "What matters is not just physical fitness with a journey like this. It is mental fitness that matters the most."
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He shares that the journey is for the love of South Africa, education, the youth and his hometown, Manguzi.
Listen to the full podcast here:
For more information regarding Sport for Lives, Maguzi, Edition + Kolisi Foundation click here
Watch the official Sport for Lives, Manguzi Edition clip:
Main Image Courtesy: Kwanda Sibiya