You probably never thought your ability to cycle to and from places could help you to raise funds for the needy. Well, two men from Ntcheu are doing just that.
75 year old William John Kambalame and his 28 year old counterpart Manuel Steven Gushe, will from 15th April this year, cycle from Nsanje to Chitipa and later from Blantyre all the way to Cape Town in South Africa, to raise funds for the establishment and construction of Mwalawoyela Community Based Organization (MWACBO) Vocational Training Centre in Ntcheu.
Kambalame, the leader of the trip and founder of MWACBO told bestmalawian in an interview on Thursday, that he aims to raise a total of MK5million from the mammoth ride.
The two will cycle in every district in Malawi for a total of two months.
“We will start our journey from Nsanje on April 15 and we expect to arrive in Chitipa on June 15”.
“Ten days after that, we will then leave for Cape Town via Zambia, Botswana, Johannesburg then South Africa. In each of these countries, we hope to take two months, meaning that our trip will finally end in mid-December this year,” he said.
Throughout their journey, Kambalame and Gushe, will be raising funds for their MWACBO Vocational Training Centre.
The Centre provides education and food to 65 orphans and is expected to carter for 200 young people from Ntcheu district, as one way of reducing unemployment rate in the district.
Kambalame founded the CBO and the vocational centre in 2004 and has already served orphans, elderly, disabled and the vulnerable totaling 300.
He explained the funds would enable the group purchase tailoring and carpentry equipment and help construction of a modern hostel, where the young people would be accommodated.
“I saw a great need in our young people who completed secondary school but are grounded in their homes because they can neither afford training in private colleges nor any job.
“This prompted me to ask for funds from government and various organizations but it didn’t work. That is when I decided to take up this cycling event, something I have always wanted to do since 2004” explained Kambalame.
Kambalame’s story gets more exciting as he explains that bicycle riding is part of his life, as all his lifetime, he does not use any public transport, irregardless of the distance.
“From my home in Ntcheu, I travel to Blantyre and it takes me six hours, to Lilongwe it takes me approximately eight hours. Every trip I undertake, I use my bicycle”
“So i thought it would be proper for me to use what God has already empowered me with, so that it is useful to the establishment of this centre to help young people” he said.
He says he has bought two machines from his personal money and has given out one-acre land to the MWACBO group for farming activities, as a starting point of the project, while anticipating for funds from the bicycle riding.
“We really hope Malawians will support our efforts and extend their warm hearts and hands towards this project. I don’t look at my age or the fact that I have 11 grown-up children. My focus is on what I can ably do, to help the vulnerable, he said.
He added that the two were taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach and hoping that their fundraising efforts will turn things around for young people in Ntcheu and countrywide.
Kambalame and Gushe hail from Mwadzaangati and Solomoni Villages respectively, T/A Ganya in Ntcheu.
Those who wish to support the event can contact bestmalawian or call 09 667 612.
