Knysna cyclist takes epic ride to raise funds for children in need
Knysna resident Olebogeng Kgengwe spent more than 10 days cycling hundreds of kilometres across the Western Cape to collect thousands of rand for disadvantaged Garden Route preschoolers.
Kgengwe took 11 days, 15 hours and three minutes to cycle 1,600km before arriving home on Monday morning.
The Concordia resident said despite bad weather, fatigue and dozens of detours along the way, the thought of helping children through the fundraiser had kept him motivated.
“I noticed some children are already in grade 3 but still struggling to read and this made me push myself to do the project, wanting to see children being able to read early in their lives,” he said.
The proceeds, raised though a crowdfunding campaign on Back a Buddy, will go towards buying educational packs that will benefit 550 underprivileged preschoolers at 28 schools across Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Sedgefield and Rheenendal.
Each pack, costing R70, contains activity booklets, play dough, pencils, books and crafting materials.
Kgengwe said during his journey, he had slept in 12 guest houses and sometimes next to the road for two hours.
“I had fun with farmers and motorbike clubs in the Karoo.
“I also enjoyed river crossing a lot as it was a bit of recovery for my legs.
“And seeing donations hit R40,000 was a message to not back down and a motivation to meet my goal,” he said.
The proceeds from his campaign will support the preschool intervention programme run by the Knysna Education Trust (Ket), which assists children to reach development milestones.
Ket media and publishing head Ciara Mayne commended Kgengwe on his bravery and dedication.
“Ole is so brave and inspiring,” she said.
“Most people would have delayed the journey due to the storm, but he went ahead with full force.
“We were worried about him as there are risks riding in such bad conditions, and every day when he messaged to say he was OK we celebrated
“Some nights Ole rode straight through the night to make up for lost time due to the bad weather during the day.
“We are honoured that Ole chose to help early education in particular,” she said.
Ket works in 128 Early Childhood Development facilities to improve the quality of education which children receive in their formative years.