Long Walk to Umthata
PARKTOWN – Humanitarians, Sane Nkabinde and Irene Rügheimer have challenged themselves to walk from Gauteng to the Eastern Cape to raise funds for the continued construction of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Parktown.
On International Mandela Day, in honour of Mabiba, the two will embark on The Long Walk to Umthata from the hospital in Parktown to the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu, through their Dark Rose Foundation.
They aim to raise at least R500 000 on the 840km journey, which will see them walk through Lesotho and cover an average of 35km per day. The challenge will take place over 27 days, a tribute to the 27 years Mandela spent behind bars when he and others were unjustly labelled terrorists for their involvement in the struggle for liberation.
The Parktown-based hospital is expected to be a world-class and highly specialised child hospital. Construction began in March with various fundraising initiatives underway to raise the required R1 billion.
The Dark Rose Foundation is a non-profit organisation through which businesswoman Nkabinde and philanthropist, Rügheimer will create meaningful societal contributions and address socio-economic ills like poverty, hunger and education.
Nkabinde said they would also engage various role players in the towns they walk through to raise funds for the hospital. “With something of this magnitude we want to get the whole country involved,” she said.
Rügheimer said thinking about what the walk would achieve would keep her going. “That’s what makes this special, we think about all those we’re able to help,” she said.
Nkabinde and Rügheimer extended an invitation to members of the public to take 67 minutes of their time to join them in the first 6.7km of their journey for Mandela Day on 18 July.
Details: www.darkrose.org.za
