A Greenfields man, Zama Nobevu, is turning his love for long-distance walking and nature into a mission to fight unemployment and empower rural communities.

Nobevu, founder of Pariio Foundation NPC, will embark on an 831km solo walk from Greenfields to Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape on November 1.

The walk is part of a fundraising campaign to build a handwork skills centre in Ngcobo. Nobevu hopes to equip young people and adults with practical skills that can help them create their own employment opportunities and eventually employ others.

The initiative forms part of the wider vision of Pariio Foundation, which Nobevu says is passionate about humanity development and wants to tackle South Africa’s high unemployment rate through practical skills development.

The foundation’s vision is not only to train people but to see individuals use their skills to establish manufacturing businesses, employ themselves and create employment for others.

The project follows the work already done through the Pariio Community Skills Centre, which has trained 120 young people and adults.

After seeing the impact of the community skills project, Nobevu decided that the next step was to establish Pariio Foundation as a national project that can reach rural communities that are often left behind.

Ngcobo will be the first rural community targeted by the foundation.

Nobevu chose Ngcobo for a deeply personal reason. It is his homestead and where his roots are.

He believes rural communities have enormous potential but are often neglected as people leave their homes for cities in search of jobs and better economic opportunities.

According to Nobevu, rural land should be viewed as an opportunity for development rather than simply a place people leave behind.

He believes communities can use rural land for farming, manufacturing and building businesses that can contribute to local economic development.

“There is more to build if we all stop neglecting that land,” he said.

The ultimate goal is for the Ngcobo Skills Centre to become the foundation of a much larger project. Once sufficient funds have been raised, and the centre has been completed, Nobevu plans to expand the foundation’s work to other rural communities in need.

For Nobevu, the fundraising method is just as important as the cause.

He describes himself as a nature lover who enjoys travelling and spending time outdoors. Walking through mountains, alongside rivers and among trees gives him a sense of peace and fulfilment.

He said being able to raise funds through something he loves makes the journey particularly meaningful.
The decision to complete the journey alone is also deliberate.

Nobevu wants the solo walk to give him an opportunity to deeply interact with himself while reconnecting with his roots.

He also wants to spend more time on the road, meeting people in different towns and learning about their history, cultures and upbringing.

Rather than focusing only on reaching the destination at a particular time, he wants the journey to be more open, personal and interactive.

He believes that spending extended periods outdoors will allow him to experience places and communities in a different way.

The walk is also intended to attract attention to the issue of unemployment.

Nobevu said walking such a long distance naturally makes people curious, with many asking why someone would choose to undertake such a journey.

For him, these conversations create an opportunity to explain the purpose behind the walk and highlight the reality of unemployment faced by many South Africans.

The journey will follow the N1 route, passing through areas including Vereeniging, Ventersburg and Bloemfontein before continuing towards Ngcobo.

The campaign’s message is ‘One step. One purpose. One community. One future’.

Nobevu is calling on individuals, businesses and organisations to support the mission through donations and other forms of assistance.

Donations can be made to Pariio Foundation NPC through Nedbank, account number 1310813035, savings account. The account holder is ZS Nobevu.

Those who would like to follow or support the journey can find King Zama Nobevu and Pariio Foundation on Facebook. Pariio Foundation is also on TikTok at @pariio_sportif.

For more information, residents can contact Nobevu on 073 675 4426.