700km cycle to fight unemployment
His goal is to promote and bring awareness to what he feels needs to change in the country.
Andrew Rossow (45) of Umtentweni recently cycled some 700km to raise awareness around poverty and the staggeringly high unemployment rate in South Africa.
He started his journey in Umzimkulu and cycled an indirect route to the Union buildings in Pretoria.
Along the way he towed a large ‘awareness banner’ which doubled as a place to sleep.
It wasn’t without incident, as his bike was stolen on the way. He towed his banner for a while, before getting a replacement bike.
His goal is to promote and bring awareness to what he feels needs to change in the country.
“Let’s bridge the wealth and inequality gap through today’s youth, from grassroots level, to finance, to the board of directors,” he says.
Andrew’s vision is to create viable business opportunities, spread across the country with the help of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s resources.
He has been inspired to do this due to his own experience of unemployment and hardship.
He had owned and run a successful panel beating business, but following an attack at work – where he was almost killed – he suffered physical and psychological trauma and was unable to work for four months following the incident.
Andrew found himself in a financial hole that he could not climb out of. His assets were repossessed and in 2015 he ultimately lost the business.
Two years later his marriage crumbled.
He found himself questioning God, who then, Andrew said, gave him his purpose and he has turned something extremely negative into something positive.
“South Africa is a nation with a diverse culture, we have a wealth of expertise, skill, and knowledge that is not being put to proper use,” says Andrew.
“Empowering society is not just about having a job, it’s about the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of people.”
His vision, three years in the planning, is documented in a step-by-step guide to bring it to fruition.
He believes that President Ramaphosa, being the successful businessman he is, has the money, power, and influence to make this vision become a reality and is calling for him to contribute to the cause.
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