Youth leaders from South Africa join the Belron® Triathlon team

On Saturday 7th August over 900 employees from Belron® business units around the world will gather together to take part in the London Triathlon to raise money for MaAfrika Tikkun. This year they will be joined by three special people who will have travelled all the way from South Africa to take part in the Triathlon with the Belron® competitors.

Sylvia Moganedi, Thokozani Johannes Hadebe and Thabitha Chaesa Nthjie are youth leaders for MaAfrika Tikkun working at the community centre in Alexandra, Johannesburg.  Over the past few months they have been through a rigorous selection process for the opportunity to compete and will travel to London with their trainer Thomas Taole. Travelling to London to take part in the London Triathlon really is the chance of a lifetime for the youth leaders.

Thabitha Chaesa Nthjie is 26 years old and is from a family of eight and has two children of her own aged nine and two. She completed her matric in 2000 at Tsela Chueu Secondary School. In 2001 she went to the University of the North to study Agriculture Administration but didn’t complete her studies because of financial problems. While she was there her father passed away and her mother was not working.  In 2009 Thabitha went to Johannesburg  to look for work. She volunteered as a child and youth care worker with MaAfrika Tikkun caring and helping young people.

Thabitha said: "MaAfrika Tikkun makes a huge difference in my life I have been given the opportunity to learn about child care, counselling, household management, first-aid and life skills. I would like to thank MaAfrika Tikkun for giving me the opportunity to really change my life. I am very excited about coming to London for the first time – it will be a real honour to compete with people from Belron®".

Sylvia Moganedi is 35 years old. She studied secretarial at Springs Technical College but could not finish her studies because mother could not afford the fees. She became pregnant and found looking for work very difficult. In 2009 she also applied to volunteer at MaAfrika Tikkun to look after children. Sylvia said: "MaAfrika Tikkun is a great organisation. I have been there a year and they have given us clothes, lunch, and opportunities to go on training, including the learnership course for child and youth care. I am still waiting for my results. I am very excited about going to London for the Triathlon – it will be an honour.  Being part of MaAfrika Tikkun is the most exciting thing that has happened in my life. Thank you for everything.”

Thokozani Johannes Hadebe is 25 years old and has four sisters and three brothers. All of them are unemployed and they are still living at home. He grew up in a rural area full of poverty and  was raised by his mother as his father disappeared when he was very young. In 2003 he completed is matric (grade 12), but the family couldn’t afford to pay the fees to further his studies. In 2005 he came to Johannesburg to visit an older brother and tried to get a job but did not succeed. In 2009 he approached MaAfrika Tikkun in the Alexandra township and started training to become a child and youth leader learning to help vulnerable children.

Thokozani said: “I would like to thank MaAfrika Tikkun for making my dreams come true and for paying us stipends (small wage) because right now I am able to provide for my own basic needs. I would also like to say a big thanks to Belron® for giving me the opportunity to go to the London Triathlon. I am very excited to be taking a flight to London. My dreams are really coming true. I will work hard so that I show other people out there where I come from and represent my township and South Africa as a whole.”