Durban - A youth led non-profit organisation is walking the talk from Durban to Cape Town in hopes to raise R500 000 towards education for the disabled this youth month.
The Enabling Disability Education Nationally (EDEN) foundation co-founders together with their associates set out last Sunday from Essenwood in Durban and will walk 1 643 kilometers over a period of 15 days covering an average distance of 60 to 90 kilometers per day.
This will be the team’s second expedition following a 600 kilometer walk from Tshwane to Durban in 2017 which raised R170 000.
Samuel Modise, a co-founder, said the team was doing well adding that the scenery and the team’s core purpose of speaking for those who could not speak for themselves were the best motivators and both numbed the physical pain.
“So far, this has been challenging since we took the N2 to travel,” said Modise. “We are focused and our main cause which is education accessibility to youth living with disabilities.”
Omphile Mangwagape living with mild cognitive impairment echoed Modise saying “the organisation was formed because there is a need for youth living with disabilities to have a voice” seeing their exclusion from society.
With their proceeds, EDEN will be taking 1000 learners through an Edutech Master Learner Program (EML) designed to improve insight, concentration and comprehension. This integrated skills development program is suitable for learners from Grade 4 up until tertiary level.
“It would cost us R10 million for the implementation of the program across South Africa, but as a pilot project we are looking to start with a school called Fanang Diatla Center for the Disabled in Hammanskraal, Pretoria which currently caters for 97 pupils,” said Siyabonga Mahomba EDEN’s young activist.
Besides physical preparation, participants said mental strength was their main focus based on experience from the previous walk.
“1 643km is no small feet and the terrain is challenging,’ said Mangwagape who is also a co-founder. “The more mentally fit we are, the better. We will persevere and make a difference in our unique way without giving up.”