PRESS RELEASE - END MARCH 2010

Capetonian cycles love through Africa

On 16 January a brave Capetonian started with his epic journey from Cairo to Cape Town on a bicycle. Jos Malherbe from Cape Town hopes not, only to raise awareness for the rights of children, but also to raise funds for charities working with children at risk. This week he reached the halfway mark and with more than 5000km still to go, he is positive that he will make it to the end.
“The most difficult part is definitely now over”, said 47 year old Jos. “To me the biggest challenge was to camp in the middle of now where”. As a formal bank executive and a sworn bachelor, the 4 months of cycling and roughing it, is not the lifestyle he is accustomed to. It turns out that he had to face many greater challenges on his journey.
“One of the worst experiences was the stone throwing kids in Ethopia. We were warned by this, but it became quite a dangerous situation. The kids would stand next to the road shouting questions and asking for money. If they got no response, they would start throwing stones at you”. Jos eventually found a way to counteract the attacks. “Whenever you would see a child picking up a stone, I would cycle straight at them, shouting like a mad man! I am sure they will never forget the crazy men on their cycles”.
Jos came upon the idea of raising funds for charity, when he read an article on the Tour D’Afrique, an extreme cycling expedition hosted every year in Africa. This seemed like a perfect way, not only to participate in something that he is passionate about, cycling, but also to help others in need.
Jos initially planned to be one of those who was going to cycle the whole way, but a harrowing accident put a quick stop to his plans. Of the accident he remembers nothing. The riders were on their way from Khartoum to Elabid. Jos was cycling on his own and he still remembers being on the bike at about 11 that morning. What happened between then and four that afternoon still remains a mystery. He was found by fellow riders walking around in the camp, dazed and confused, with bleeding wounds on the left side of his body. His cracked helmet confirmed the worst fears – that he was hit by a vehicle. He was rushed back to Karthoum for MR scans and a proper medical check. But after two days of rest and surviving a serious concussion, he was back on the road again.
One of the highlights of his trip, was his visit to an orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania. Jos managed to secure sponsorship for this small orphanage and with the help of the National Bank of Tanzania, he handed over new school uniforms to all the children in the orphanage. “It was such a great moment to see how proud the kids stood there in their new uniforms”.
Jos has raised more than R 70 000 so far for his chosen charity, Matla A Bana, a voice against child abuse. This organisation, started by ex-hostage Monique Strydom, helps more than 4000 child abuse and rape victims every year. “I knew that if there were two people who would understand severe challenges and living conditions, it would be Callie and Monique”, Jos jokes, “their cause is such a great cause and I knew I would have their sympathy!”.
The next half of the cycling will take Jos through Malawi, Zambia, Namibia and then finally South Africa. He is expected to reach Cape Town on 15 May.