890km trek raises funds for Avril Elizabeth Home

South African Navy diver Nickey Seger is embarking on an extraordinary journey to raise funds for the Primrose-based Avril Elizabeth Home for the mentally handicapped.

Seger was recently a main speaker when the organisation hosted a fundraising event titled ‘Ladies Tea’ on August 22.

All funds raised were donated to the home during a morning anchored in hope and purpose, under the theme ‘Anchored in Purpose’, where every ticket helps provide lifelong care, dignity, love, and a true sense of belonging for the residents.

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Now, a 30-year personal dream has transformed into an extraordinary mission of hope across Europe for Seger and her partner Grant Clack as they take on an 890km pilgrimage to transform the lives of 154 disabled people housed by the home.

The couple is trekking the historic Camino de Santiago route from France through northern Spain to raise R750 000 for the Avril Elizabeth Home (AEH).

The home continues to provide lifelong residential care to adults living with severe intellectual and physical disabilities, with Tumelo, shortened to ‘Tumi’, a small travelling teddy bear serving as the campaign’s official ambassador, joining them on every step of the journey.

Short for Tumelo, the Setswana word for faith, Tumi’s presence carries deep sentimental and historic value, and according to AEH chief executive officer Andre van Biljon, teddy bears became synonymous with the home during a severe financial crisis in the early 1980s, when a stranger donated 100 bears that were sold to keep the doors open.

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Four decades later, Tumi is the first bear chosen to embark on an international pilgrimage, representing the 154 residents who cannot make the journey themselves.

“When the bears were sold, the money raised was enough to cover the Home’s rent, helping keep its doors open during a time when every bit of support mattered. From then on, the teddy bear became a beloved mascot of Avril Elizabeth Home.

“Teddies of every shape and size became part of life at the home, bringing comfort and joy while becoming a lasting symbol of the security, stability and care provided to its residents.

“The story of those 100 teddy bears is a reminder that sometimes, something seemingly simple can make an extraordinary difference.

“And today, that legacy continues with Tumi, who carries the spirit of those original teddy bears’ legacy beyond the walls of the home.

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“His name is a fitting reminder of the faith and hope that carried the home through difficult times. While the teddy bears remain at Avril Elizabeth Home, Tumi travels out into the world on behalf of its residents.

He shares their story, raises awareness, builds connections and helps gather support for the home and its future.

One hundred teddy bears once helped keep the doors open. Today, Tumi carries that legacy forward, one journey, one connection and one act of kindness at a time.”

Van Biljon said at the core of it, they believe in a world where every individual is treated with unwavering respect and tenderness.

“Our commitment is to foster a safe haven of belonging, providing permanent care that honours the unique spirit of every resident we serve,” said Van Biljon.

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For Seger, who qualified as the first female diver in the South African Navy in 1996 and later set a world record by spending 25 hours underwater to fund her autistic niece’s therapy, using extreme physical endurance to support others is a lifelong calling.

Her past efforts include running 14 half marathons in 14 days to pay a schoolgirl’s tuition under her ‘Power of a Promise’ campaign, and running 650km in 30 days alongside Clack to secure cancer treatment for a friend.

While the Camino de Santiago had been on Seger’s personal bucket list for three decades, discovering the work of the home at a Pretoria networking event earlier this year gave the walk a higher calling.

“The primary goal of the fundraiser is to overhaul the home’s hydrotherapy facilities. Water therapy is crucial for residents with severe physical and sensory disabilities, offering weightless freedom of movement, relieving stiff muscles, reducing joint pressure, and providing soothing sensory engagement,” said Seger.

“Currently, the facilities can only be used for roughly half the year. The proposed R750 000 upgrade will introduce solar heating panels, refurbished pool tiles, non-slip flooring, upgraded showers, roof repairs, an assisted pool hoist, safety railings, flotation devices, and new therapy equipment, enabling year-round therapeutic access,” said Seger.

The 42-day journey to Santiago de Compostela and onward to Finisterre, traditionally known as the ‘end of the world’, has tested the pair’s limits.

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Reaching Burgos on September 11 with 290km already behind them, Seger acknowledged that blistering heatwaves, daily distances, and carrying 9kg backpacks have made this one of her toughest endurance challenges yet.

“I would like to emphasise that despite the challenges, the mission keeps me grounded.”

She notes that purpose does not make a difficult journey easy, but it makes every difficult step worth taking, adding that every hill climbed and sunrise greeted serves as a reminder that hope grows one step at a time. Through her steps, she says, the residents are walking the Camino too.

Seger and Clack are on track to complete their journey around October 7.

The public can follow Tumi’s updates on social media via ‘ActiveAvrilAmbassador’ or Nickey Seger’s personal pages, and contributions to the R750 000 target can be made directly on the BackaBuddy campaign page titled ‘Every Step Matters for Avril Elizabeth Home’.