Epic ride pit stops in Dundee

Dundee and Newcastle cyclists wheeled into town with the crisp Sunday morning air, led by Azhar Vadi (34) of SalaamMedia (a non-profit organisation based in Gauteng), as part of the Ride4SAEducation initiative.
Vadi, who started from Musina on February 7, plans to ride 3 000km across South Africa in raising awareness around basic education needs in the country.

He was joined by colleague, Zaheer Pahad, for the first leg of the tour, but is since going it solo, with the exception of riders from small towns who join him along the route. Vadi hopes to reach Cape Point on March 10, having collected his goal amount of R1 million.

“We are calling on people to support this cause by donating an amount for every kilometre that is ridden, so that we can implement several education development projects,” explained Vadi. “But most importantly, we want to promote a positive attitude towards education and we have thus far received a wonderful and heart-warming response from South Africans from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures.”
The four projects that will hopefully be implemented are the construction of toilets at a school in Limpopo, a kitchen in Hammanskraal, 1000 pairs of shoes and 2 000 sanitary pads for learners.

“Many schools in rural and undeveloped South Africa have no toilets, and we have also received requests to build kitchen structures so that food can be prepared for learners,” said Vadi.
Despite the mental and physical strain of this selfless task, Vadi has had some beautiful moments along the way.

“One of those stand-out moments for me, was when some kids from Molemole, who were in torn shoes and tattered clothing, contributed amounts of R1 and R2 to this cause,” smiled Vadi. “Another highlight was when the Hammanskraal Cycling Club, comprising of about 60 riders, took us on a township tour. It is moments like these that inspire you to keep going.”
Already this ride has had a positive influence on various communities, who have donated cash and bicycles.

“My hope is to get the local people involved in their own communities as much as possible, taking on the responsibility of creating their own projects so that they can develop and uplift local schools. There are so many children battling every day, just to get an education,” commented Vadi, who is making a massive sacrifice, being away from his wife and three children, all of whom support and encourage him from home.

He thanked all the generous families who opened up their hearts and homes to him along the way, the local riders who made the effort to accompany him, and the Ayob family who hosted him during his stay in Dundee.