The Cycalive riders gather in front of the City Hall on arrival in Durban
March 26, 2010 – A typically hot and humid Durban greeted 30 exhausted but elated young Cycalive riders and their supporters on arrival at the Durban City Hall yesterday afternoon, as the first official event of this year’s Mandela Day came to an end.
Reaching the coastal city concluded the final leg of their five-day relay cycle from Johannesburg to Durban, and this year’s Cycalive nation-building initiative.
Now in its 13th year, Cycalive is aimed at raising funds, developing bonds between young South Africans, and creating a spirit of ubuntu, optimism and commitment towards a positive future for the country. It was also the first official Mandela Day event leading up to Nelson Mandela’s 92nd birthday on July 18, 2010.
Rabbi Dovid Hazdan, one of the main organisers, paid tribute to the many sponsors who made Cycalive 2010 possible and described this year’s event as “absolutely fantastic”.
The boys – drawn from the Torah Academy in Johannesburg, and Pace College and Moletsane School in Soweto – used their time together to explore their diverse cultures, work as a team, appreciate the beauty of their country and develop their individual leadership qualities.
Along the route the cyclists were hosted by various schools, hostels and service organisations. They, in turn, called in to thank various sponsors and visited special needs pupils at Ethembeni School in Inchanga.
Despite their long bicycle trip, the boys were thrilled to have finally arrived at their destination and were looking forward to an evening braai. Those who had never seen the sea before said they were very excited about a planned visit to the beach the next morning.
Building a new nation with Cycalive. From left: Sello Moremong, Yoram Schwartz, Yosef Jameson, Yinon Falkson and Itumeleng Sekokope
The Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Information Communications Manager, Sello Hatang, said, “We believe Cycalive is a good initiative. It shows that if people band together, they can do more. All of us must, in our small ways, contribute toward building a better world.”
Hatang explained that Mandela Day wasn’t about doing something for others just on July 18, Mr Mandela’s birthday, but about making a difference in your community throughout the year. “Mandela Day must be an everyday occurrence.”
Comments from the boys:
“We had to face the challenge of many steep hills and we learned about teamwork. It was an honour to be able to participate in such a project.” – Thato Mbewe
“Life is like a bicycle ride. Every uphill has a downhill and if you stop pedalling, you will fall.” – Aaron Gudelsky
“It was tiring, exciting and adventurous.” – Lindokuhle Mbewe
“The ride was amazing. It inspired ubuntu and enabled us to connect.” – Dan Bacher
The Deputy Mayor of Durban, Councillor Logie Naidoo, was on hand to officially welcome the cyclists to the city of Durban
Rabbi Dovid Hazdan of the Torah Academy commends the boys on their momentous achievement
Yaakov Gralnik ended up with a few scrapes when his gears broke outside Ladysmith, but his smile says it was all worthwhile