Australian philanthropist sets off from Camperdown

AUSTRALIAN philanthropist and adventurer, Micko O’Byrne and his Dutch partner, Liesbeth Goedhart, set off from the Mayibuye Community Game Reserve, currently being developed in Camperdown, on Wednesday, 9 April on an overland philanthropic journey through Africa.

Their adventure besides being for enjoyment and fun includes a deeper purpose to create development and empowerment for the communities they meet. This upliftment principle is shared by

Mayibuye Game Reserve representatives, Peter Kennedy and David Bozas,who offered to brand the vehicle and provide Mayibuye as the point of departure.

The 4×4 displays a painting by renowned Aboriginal artist, Jimmy Pike, with whom O’Byrne has worked closely with on uplifting the Australian outback community.

The development of the big-five Mayibuye Community Game Reserve at Camperdown was inspired by elephant whisperer and author, Lawrence Anthony. His colleagues, Peter Kennedy, of Pinetown-based BFG (Business For Good) Retail, Conservationist, David Bozas and Yvette Taylor of The Earth Organisation, are amongst a team aiming for Mayibuye to become a new model for community game reserves in South Africa. The creation of Mayibuye introduces a new model between community upliftment, conservation and commerce.

The Reserve, which covers 4 600 hectares,will stretch from Camperdown to Inanda Dam in the east and up to the Wartburg area in the north,with plans to introduce various species of buck, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest followed by the Big Five.

For O’Byrne, tourism and philanthropy are natural partners. “Philanthropists are increasingly choosing to play a hands-on role in the global projects they support, which has created a niche market in the travel business. I have taken many wealthy wanna-be adventurers on novel and memorable tours to the outback and other remote spots, where they not only enjoy a travel adventure of a lifetime, but the satisfaction of meeting the communities they wish to support and empower. They are charged a fee which includes a healthy donation to the community before they even set off and thereafter, once they have met the locals, they invariably become fully involved,” said O’Byrne.

“Increasingly, it is not about donating money but about engagement and they enjoy being part of the empowerment process,” he added.

Born in 1952 in Queensland, Australia, Micko has led a colourful life with a variety of careers, from bull-catcher, to bus driver, actor, rock music promoter, to small business advisor in Aboriginal economic development. In his forties, he established the business that now generates the income enabling him to undertake expeditions to remote and challenging parts of the world.

Recently he worked as senior consultant to the managing directors of mining companies, providing strategic advice in the area of Aboriginal economic development. His interests are art, music, horses, motor cycles and aviation and he flies his own plane. He has many close friendships in Aboriginal communities and is always interested in the lifestyle of ethnic minorities.

The duo set off from Mayibuye without any structured plan, apart from knowing that they will be travelling from Camperdown to the Midlands, Cape Town, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ruwanda, Botswana, Namibia and Morocco, before heading for Europe. The aim is to meet people and creating opportunities for philanthropic tourism.