On 16 July 2015, DJ Fresh, Anele Mdoda, Johrnè van Huyssteen, Alex Caige, Saint Seseli, Angie Khumalo, Mac Masina, Piet Croucamp and Karen Zoid, along with several other bikers, will don helmets to take part in the sixth annual Bikers for Mandela Day event.
Bikers for Mandela Day is one of the many activities taking place under the broader Mandela Day campaign.
1st for Women Insurance, via its charitable trust, the 1st for Women Foundation, will once again be supporting the group of bikers on their 2015 Bikers for Mandela Day journey.
Throughout the journey, the bikers will be distributing whistles to the organisations they visit, in support of Blow The Whistle, an anti-rape and women abuse organisation. Blow The Whistle is a national campaign that aims to empower women and children by giving them their voices back. The goal of the initiative is to provide women and children with the platforms necessary to feel safe.
According to Zelda la Grange, the convener of Bikers for Mandela Day and the Patron of the 1st for Women Foundation, “Bikers for Mandela Day was launched so that South Africa’s large biker community could pay tribute to Madiba and his legacy. Madiba strongly believed that small acts of kindness could change the world for the better and gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity.
Now it’s our turn to make a positive and sustainable difference to communities in need. For the sixth year, we are traveling to remote areas to advocate change. Caring brings about change.”
The bikers participating in the initiative will travel from Johannesburg to Beaufort West, George, Knysna, Graaff Reinet and Bloemfontein.
“There, we will sustain the humanitarian legacy of Madiba by supporting a number of organisations. It is our hope that our actions will empower the communities we visit, and motivate them to take charge of their destinies and change their circumstances for the better,” says Robyn Farrell, Executive Head of 1st for Women Insurance.
On 17 July 2015, the biker team will visit the HM Dlikidla Primary School in Beaufort West to donate stationery and books. There will also be a puppet show presented to the scholars educating them on the signs of abuse and abuse prevention.
The bikers will then travel to the Phambili Refuge Centre in George. This shelter was established in 1999 and provides a temporary place of safety for up to 25 women and children. The Biker team will spend 67 minutesdoing general repair work at the shelter. The 1st for Women Foundation will also hand over a cheque to the organisation to strengthen their efforts.
On 18 July 2015, Nelson Mandela Day, the bikers will start off in Knysna visiting residents of the Vermont Old Age Home, which houses about 60 elderly and frail people - many of whom have been neglected by their families. Blankets that have been knitted by the members of 67 Blankets for Mandela Day will be handed out and hot water bottles and more blankets will be donated by Shoprite Checkers.
The bikers have also sponsored the installation of electricity timers to the geysers of the old age home to reduce the cost of electricity - the highest expenditure at the home. This should result in savings both in units and KVA demand. While bikers will spend time with the elderly, the residents will be entertained by Karen Zoid while soup and treats sponsored by Conrad Pezula will be served.
The Bikers will then head to the Chris Hani Centre to support FAMSA, anon-profit organisation that specialises in relationship counselling. The youngsters in the local community will be treated to an educational puppet show, followed by a talk by DJ Fresh on healthy families and entertainment by Karen Zoid.
The 1st for Women Foundation will hand over a cheque to FAMSA to strengthen their work in the community. At the same time, some of the bikers will work on a vegetable garden at the home of a survivor of abuse.
The bikers will then travel to Graaff Reinet to participate in a commemoration event outside the Old Dutch Reformed Church, the “Groot Kerk” which was established in 1792. There, hundreds of school children and members from the community will join the Bikers to light candles and sing in Madiba’s honour.
On 19 July 2015, the team will be in Bloemfontein to assist Thessa New Beginnings, a social business with the aim of providing an alternative employment opportunity for vulnerable women trapped in poverty, abusive relationships, prostitution and other circumstances in which they are at risk.
At this organisation, the bikers will spend 67 minutes putting up dry walling and painting. The 1st for Women Foundation will hand over a cheque to the organisation.
“We are so proud to support this incredible initiative which aims to embed hope in communities that are in dire need of attention and support. Bikers for Mandela Day proves that small gestures of kindness can indeed make a huge difference and if celebrities are willing to roll up their sleeves and get dirty for a good cause, anyone can,” concludes Farrell.
Bikers for Mandela Day would like to thank the following sponsors: 1st for Women Insurance, Legacy Lifestyle, Auto Alpina, Meropa, Conrad Pezula, Nando's, The Drostdy Hotel, Shoprite/Checkers and Netcare 911.