Pedaling with purpose: Cycling in the Nedbank Desert Dash for Embo lye Haro Pre-Primary School

Nedbank Namibia leverages the annual Nedbank Desert Dash, an iconic 397 km cycling adventure through the challenging yet beautiful Namib Desert, as a means for ‘doing good’. Scheduled for 8-9 December this year, the event continues its yearly mission to actively support causes aimed at creating positive change in Namibia.

Kavango East Rundu, is a cycling team brought together by a passion for cycling and a desire to support those who benefit from cycling as a source of income. The team joined the Nedbank Desert Dash to raise funds and awareness for Embo lye Haro Pre-Primary School in Ndama, a small peri-urban neighborhood on the outskirts of Rundu. Schools and orphanages across the country face multiple challenges, including a lack of funding, support and housing. Embo lye Haro Pre-Primary School is one of many Namibian schools that have had to find innovative ways to raise funds for their operations. The school acts as both a school and a home for the vulnerable, housing and educating the orphaned children of Ndama. To raise funds, the school buys, repairs and sells used bicycles through its bike shop.

Driven by their love of cycling, the cycling team’s main motivation for completing the Nedbank Desert Dash is to lend a helping hand to the school. While the cycling team is still in its infancy, its members are all on an equal footing: there is no hierarchy among them and, through their strengths and natural abilities, they support each other as they develop and learn together. For them, cycling has always been a lifestyle and they cycle as a part-time hobby and activity. However, since joining the Nedbank Desert Dash, the team has significantly ramped up the kilometres that they usually cover to help them develop strength and endurance for the race. Despite struggling to find the time to train, the team is committed to joining the cycling calendar throughout the year and rides around their region to prepare for the race.

Besides time, one of the main challenges the team has always faced is the cost of travel as well as the repair and maintenance of their bikes. This is a struggle that often meant they could not participate in races where they could have raised more awareness for the school. With the sponsorship of Nedbank Namibia, they now have the opportunity to direct all their funds towards the charity to help alleviate some of the daily challenges they face while running the school and bike shop.

Team member Izak Grobbelaar expressed his gratitude to Nedbank Namibia for extending a helping hand, and to friends and family for their support. ‘We are very grateful for the support we have been getting and the messages of encouragement. It goes a long way. To our family and friends, who make lots of sacrifices to see us taking part in the Nedbank Desert Dash, we see your sacrifices throughout the year, and we thank you,” he said.

He urges those who wish to support them to reach out to them as the proceeds are all for a good cause. “This is a cause for good that touches the lives of those who greatly need the help. It doesn’t matter how much you can give – we welcome you to be a part of this heart-warming cause,” he adds.

The Kavango East Rundu team is 1 of 5 charity teams that Nedbank supports in the 2023 Nedbank Desert Dash. The race starts in Windhoek and their race to victory is 24 hours away at the finish line in Swakopmund, at Platz Am Meer. Visit the Nedbank Desert Dash website at desertdashnamibia.com for updates on the route, the race and the teams’ progress.

For information on how you can help Embo lye Haro Pre-Primary School, contact Izak Grobbelaar on 081 498 9083 or at izakgrobbelaar@gmail.com, or Comet Kelf on 081 374 9307 or at cometkelf@gmail.com.