Cape Town - An initiative which takes youngsters out of the townships and into the beautiful sights and hiking trails of Cape Town every month may come to an abrupt end as its founders battle with funds for transportation.
The Nyanga Hiking Club, with about 130 members between the ages of eight and 18 participating, was founded by community activist Lulama Benge in partnership with hiker and trail runner Justin Ashley in September last year.
Benge said the idea was born when he promised he would reward the children who eagerly volunteered in his clean-up initiative with a hike.
“I said to them ‘I will reward you guys with a hike, if you start behaving at school and at home’. I didn’t know how to start, as I have never hiked myself. It was through meeting Justin that the idea came full circle,” he said.
Ashley met Benge through his greening project last year.
“I made contact with Lulama Benge during the hard lockdown last year. He had initiated a gardening project in Nyanga where he was clearing dumpsites and then making a garden where the dumpsite used to be. After a while he said to me ‘you know there are so many youths who never get out of the townships and I would love to start a hiking club’. He knew that I was an experienced hiker and trail runner.
“So we planned our first hike in Newlands Forest - we borrowed a bakkie and some cars and managed to get about 20 kids from Nyanga to the Fire Station and took them on a 5km hike,” he said.
Ashley said the children enjoyed it so much that at the next hike, so many wanted to join that they had to hire two taxis.
“Even though we got a discount it cost us over R1000 to hire the taxis. We got a sponsorship with Golden Arrow and they said they have space to donate six bus trips between September and March. But they had no budget for us after that. The invoices Golden Arrow sent us for the bus trips are between R3 500 and R4 500 for each hike (depending on the destination). So that’s how much it will cost us to hire a bus. We would love to be able to do one hike a month but the cost is too much for us, as a club, to afford,” he said.
Benge said this was disheartening and disappointing.
“I am desperately looking for sponsorship or anyone who is able to help us. The kids are so into the hiking club already, and it would be so sad if it would come to an end. We would love for this hiking club to go on, and to be one of the great things that can bring change to our young people and inspire our community,” he said.
Monelisi Sobada, a parent from Nyanga hailed the hiking club for being a beacon of hope for their children.
“I have my children in the hiking club. We are so grateful for it, it takes our children to places we are not able to take them to and away from drugs and crime. We would be so happy if they could continue their great work, and we wish they could get all the help that they need,” Sobada said.
To assist the hiking club, contact Ashley on: 082 608 0088. Follow them on Facebook.