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Richard Mabaso, founder of the Imbumba Foundation, which runs Trek4Mandela and Caring4Girls, two interconnected charities with the same goal, is the culmination of a seven-year trip: ensuring that menstruation does not occur. never be an excuse for girls.
Mabaso had the idea of raising public awareness of the campaign by climbing Kilimanjaro on the occasion of Mandela's birthday on Christmas Day 2011. On July 18, 2012, he had Made with his friend and long-time collaborator, Everest hero Sibusiso Vilane
Vilane will lead this year's expedition and that of next month's Women's Day that Trek4Mandela organized to meet the asks beginner climbers who want to check their bucket and do something at the same time. 19659002] Mabaso is set as a goal to lead 100 mountaineers to Mount Uhuru of Kilimanjaro by next July; By the end of August, hopefully, he will have managed to reach the top, another important figure on the Mandela calendar.
This is a large group that will leave for Tanzania in July, the biggest one yet, which is why the training was even longer and harder than in previous years – with three mandatory local hikes to Suikerbosrand outside Heidelberg and three trips to the scenic Monk's Wilderness Park Cowl in the Drakensberg
"We wanted the climbers to get to know each other. The climb of Kilimanjaro not only concerns individual efforts, but also the team spirit, the practice of the ubuntu – that we are one for the first time. other, "he says
. Each climber – by virtue of their ascent – will support 100 schoolgirls for an entire year, but four of the 2018 climbers have already far exceeded that target.
"Vickey Ganesh, known as" Super Vic "to the group, was the first to breed and beat R100000; Natasen Mags was second, followed by" Queen D ". Dikeledi Dlwati and Angela Yeung, they did this by using their networks and receiving donations from their friends, "says Mabaso.
" It's always inspiring to see that they're not just scoring points, but that they really make a difference in girls' lives … the most … Each of them will support 1000 girls for next year because of what they have ambaded. 19659002] For Ganesh in particular, it was not just about climbing Kilimanjaro – he was twice summoned – but this time he wanted to do it for a cause. mountains, with a hope of Everest in 2020, when Vilane will lead his team from all over Africa to the highest peak in the world.
For Rewards the four, Mabaso held mini-activations in the schools of his choice; for Ganesh, he was back in KwaZulu-Natal where he grew up, while Dlwati had a presentation of sanitary napkins at one school in Kroonstad and another in Gauteng. Yeung returned to Botshabelo, outside of Bloemfontein, where she had spent her early years as a school in South Africa – surprising climbers and staff with her command of Sesotho. The activation of Natasen will take place in a deserving school in the north of KZN before the departure of the group for Kilimanjaro.
"It was important to do this," says Mabaso, "to reward those climbers who were the first to reach their goals – the others – we will return after Kili to these schools with these climbers, but the fact that they Going there first will make the climb even more special because the goal became personal, they met the recipients and they will meet them again at the largest distribution. "
It's not just the climbers who contribute, there are also corporate partners sponsoring entire schools for a year, but the largest collector of sanitary napkins is undoubtedly the Dis-Chem Foundation, which has run its "Millions of Comforts" campaign since Mabaso contacted Lynette Saltzman, CEO of Dis-Chem, in 2015.
was to bring the customers of the national pharmaceutical group to donate one million packets of sanitary napkins. exceeded everyone's expectations
This year, more than 2 million packages were donated in the first week and a half of the campaign, which continues until the end of July. Nobody puts a target on the final amount, for fear of hurting him, but hopes are that it could be the best year yet
For Saltzman, the success of the campaign rests on three pillars: the essential need for Such a campaign; the simplicity of it, the purchase in store, the payment of tablets and their disposal in the trash; and the enthusiasm of the Dis-Chem staff themselves.
"When Richard came to me for the first time with this concept, I was not aware of the problem; In my naivety, I thought that women were coping without using disposable sanitary napkins. In our stores, though, we have people – at the counter and working as merchandisers – who grew up without access to disposable sanitary napkins, or who knew women who had to fend for themselves. It was these people on the front line who encouraged our clients to take part in this initiative.
"We had customers come and buy many packages just to donate."
Sanitary towel manufacturers also took the initiative to donate for each of their purchased products, while Dis-Chem provided its own branded homemade sanitary napkin and kept the price under R10.
Climbers will be going to Dis-Chem stores across the country this weekend to encourage buyers to donate sanitary napkins and, on Monday, Trek4Mandela will launch its Mandela month activation to motorists at the Ultra City Shell on N1 north between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
"We have helped more than 360,000 girls in more than 450 schools since the beginning of the project," says Mabaso. "The girls receive towels for one year, quarterly, three times a year or twice, depending on the school and potential sponsors.The first time we do the distribution, we educate the girls through our Facilitator. training in puberty, Phumzile Magudulela, and organizing workshops to educate boys.
"We are looking for sponsors to come and adopt schools" We continue to remind people that Trek4Mandela is an event to encourage them to be budgets investment in other provinces because some of our biggest problems are logistical. like Madiba, to think of others. "For those who want to help, but can not reach us, we say:" Go buy towels and give them to your local school. "
" Any one of us can do our part to help create a better and more caring world, ensuring that even a girl has the chance to complete her schooling without missing a day because of the shame badociated with not being able to properly manage their monthly period.
"I am always humble and inspired by the response of the South African public. Some people even take their last R10 to donate a single package; but, if it helps an unmarried girl, then it's worth it. "
To learn more about Trek4Mandela or to donate to Caring4Girls, contact Nkateko Mabale by email: [email protected] or call: +27 (0) 11883 0379 or +27662142520
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