These bikers are riding for children

It’s all about helping children and seeing the joy on their faces for the biking trio behind ‘Ride for a Child’, a life-altering initiative started by executive director and founder of Pediatric Care Africa, Dr Andre Hattingh.

The biking trio who this week passed through Ballito – Dr Hattingh, pastor TJ Mare and businessman and technical support driver, Jan Oosthuizen – say that the only regret they have has been not getting involved or starting an initiative like this sooner.

Ride for a Child is a simple initiative which sees to the raising, collecting and distributing of funds, toys and food – and even for the payment of pediatric surgeries, which the group raised enough in 2019 to cover 20 such surgeries.

For lead biker Dr Hattingh, the mission is simple: For every kilometre travelled on his bike, sponsors pay R1.

The journey started at Wit Rivier in Mpumalanga (where it will also end) and Dr Hattingh says that the roads they’ve been travelling lead them around the country in a circle – which he refers to as a ‘circle of hope’, and one they began forming on February 15.

It all started as a simple idea by Dr Hattingh some 26 years ago when he was doing medical volunteer work in Rwanda during the genocide against the Tutsi people in 1994.

The genocide has been compared to the Nazi Holocaust in its surreal brutality and Dr Hattingh vowed that year that he would do everything in his power to give back what was taken – his means of doing so, changing any child’s life however he can.

Of the more than one million people killed, Dr Hattingh says that some 80 000 included children.

Visiting some of the numerous children’s homes through the country, Dr Hattingh explained that they often give special needs and ill children rides on their bikes rewarding them with a badge afterwards.

He says that the experience for some of the children is a first, and introduces them to a world previously unknown.

“Sometimes it can be daunting, especially with children suffering from Down’s syndrome. They enjoy the ride so much and when it ends, well, they simply don’t want it to stop,” said Dr Hattingh.

During their trip between Port Elizabeth and Port St Johns the trio were even joined by other road users from fire and traffic departments, including some local driving clubs and security companies as a show of support for the cause.

At the time of writing, the trio were on their way to St Thomas Home for Children in Durban where they planned to hand over donated toys, treats, ice cream and bike rides.

The visit is also part of an initiative to determine what kinds of medication the children’s home needs.

For more information on the cause, visit www.pediatriccareafrica.org.

At the moment, Dr Hattingh says that they are in desperate need of more volunteers and any form of donation would always be welcomed. To stay up-to-date on their daily progress, follow Ride for a Child on Facebook.

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