01 Nov 2011 PPA delights farm children near Stellenbosch
The Pedal Power Association recently donated bicycles and helmets to the Anna Foundation as part of the PPA’s current project funding initiative. Last week PPA staff members visited Zorgvliet West, a farm nestled near the top of the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch, to meet some of the farm kids whose lives are being changed for the better by this project.
The project is run by the Anna Foundation, founded 2005 by Anna Brom. Anna volunteered in a township school in Mpumalanga and it was there that it became clear that there was a critical need for greater support to these isolated and underprivileged schools in South Africa.
Due to the fact that farms are spread over a large area and are far more isolated than urban or township areas, there is no central community area with the closest town being tens of kilometers away. Anna realized that there was a lack of structure and supervision for the young learners when returning home, no one to surpervise homework as well as to ensure that the child stayed out of mischief.
The Anna Foundation was specifically created to provide support to these schools and to help create a stimulating environment for these children after school. The Anna Foundation mission is to “assist disadvantaged schools and communities by providing academic, social and environmental support and equipping children with skills for lifelong learning. We recognise each child as unique and special and aim to support the holistic development of the child”.
Amongst others, Pedal Power donated R35 000 for bikes, spares and equipment needed by the farm children to travel from their respective farms and schools to the Anna foundation. The Pedal Power team was present to hand over the new bicycles as well as helmets and repair kits. One of the boys Thuli said “it must be Christmas!” as he started pedalling up and down the grass patch in front of the school.
The Anna Foundation is just one of the many projects that tThe Pedal Power Association supports.
The Pedal Power Association (PPA) is delighted to announce allocating some R1 850 000 to support 38 cycling-related projects over the next year, bringing the funding spent on cycling projects over the last four years to a total of just under R7 million. In this way, the Association has recently supported some 120 specific cycling-related projects.
“We are in the fortunate position that the Pedal Power Association and the Rotary Club of Claremont are the beneficiaries of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, who organises, amongst others, the annual Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. The PPA uses any profits received in this way to run the Association, and, in 2011-2012, will plough over R1,85 million into cycling projects,” explained PPA Chairman, Steve Hayward.
In addition to supporting specific projects, the Association also assists service organisations to annually organise some 50 funrides in order to raise funds for charity. These events are split roughly half-half between mass participation road and off-road funrides. On average, the PPA subsidises each funride with products and services valued between R15 000 and R22 000.
For more information regarding the other projects, please visit the projects section.