EMM’s executive mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, said that the metro, together with its partners, will support the TrekMandela Challenge.
Well known mountain climber, Sibusiso Vilane will lead a team that consists of Joshua Awesome from Awesome Adventure and Richard Mzabaso from Imbumba Foundation to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The journey will be between July 13 and 18.
Clr Gungubele said that TrekMandela aims to raise funds for the Caring For Girls programme and the Youth Leadership Development programme, among other things.
Caring For Girls programme aims to target 500 underprivileged secondary schoolgirls at two of the priority areas in Ekurhuleni.
“The metro will raise R300 000 towards this programme and beneficiaries are being supplied with sanitary towels for a year, complete with hygiene kits and education manuals,” he said.
He added that R100 000 will be raised for the Youth Leadership Development programme.
“The mountain climbers from the TrekMandela expedition will impart leadership skills to learners at the identified schools in Ekurhuleni,” the mayor said.
He added that the journey taken by Vilane and his team, depicts what Mr Mandela stood for.
“Every month these young women face a challenge that threatens their future. More than two million girls in disadvantaged areas do not go to school due to this natural monthly circle,” the mayor said.
He added that most of the girls lose their self-esteem because of not having proper sanitation for their monthly period.
“As you know if you kill someone’s self-esteem, you have killed that person. TrekMadiba, like Madiba, will depict resilience and endurance of a human being. It will show that a human being cannot be stopped by anything from achieving excellence,” Clr Gungubele said.
Vilane said that this project touches one of the issues close to his heart.
“I have heard of the plight of these girls who face this challenge and these children have to drop out of school. I am using my physical ability to climb the mountain and embrace the spirit of Madiba to help those in need.”
