Richards Bay police diver Lieutenant-Colonel Kobus Olivier is preparing to put his survival skills to the test and become the first solo paddler to circumnavigate Lake Malawi to raise awareness and funds for autism.
The 54-year-old will start paddling in August from Senga Bay in Malawi to Tanzania and Mozambique, ending with a 30km cross-lake paddle back to Malawi.
“Nomakanjani is a Zulu word meaning 'come what may'. It is with the same passion and commitment I plan to circumnavigate Lake Malawi where I will have to paddle for 55 days, doing an average of 35km a day,” Olivier said.
The 1400km journey will be done without any support and all proceeds will be donated to the Autism and Behavioural Learning Environment (Able) Centre, a Zululand-based non-profit organisation which works with autistic children.
This is Olivier's second Nomakanjani challenge after he paddled 250km from Kosi Bay to Richards Bay in 2011 for the same initiative. The aim now is to improve the facility and expand its reach to countries that Olivier will be paddling through.
“The vision is to strengthen and extend the current facility, not only for children with development delays but also to include services for all children with disabilities. The need to provide services to these children is enormous, given that many do not receive any form of education not being incorporated into the current educative settings available,” Olivier said.
As an experienced diver, Olivier knows the dangers of croc-infested waters but said he has been warned to keep away from reeds swarming with mosquitoes.
His raft has a capacity to carry 40kg and Olivier conceded it was not enough room to carry supplies for 55 days.
“I will be stopping and engaging with local communities, staying and eating with them, but when I get to Tanzania I’ll have to paddle for three days before coming into contact with any communities so I have to make sure that I have enough supplies,” he said.
Talking about his motivation, he said it broke his heart to see children with autism not getting the help they needed and “being treated as if they were mad”. He hoped companies and individuals would support him. “I’ve set a huge challenge for myself and know it’s not going to be easy. Many challenges will be waiting for me. Whether it is hippos, crocs, Mother Nature, bilharzia or another problem, it’s not about me, it’s about the children,” he said.