Savannah Trek – South Africa

1. Savannah Trek – South Africa

2. Introduction: What is a charity challenge? • Charity challenges are not a new idea. In fact, for many people, especially from the UK, charity challenges became the preferred way of travelling. Why? • Charity challenges offer true adventures in some of the most pristine environments and cultural landscapes on this planet. • They offer a more meaningful experience than just a sightseeing holiday. • Charity challenges enable participants to give back, to make a difference, and to take pride in the challenge. • Charity challenges put you in a local environment with local people and allow to experience true local culture, all of which is very hard to access as an ordinary tourist. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

3. Introduction: How does it work? Lets say you want to participate in an international marathon. Since this can turn out rather expensive, you will be looking for people or companies to sponsor you. The same principle applies for charity challenges. In essence, you commit yourself to raising a certain amount of money in order to qualify for the challenge. You look for sponsors. Between your registration and the actual event you will have plenty of time to raise the required funds for your participation. The money you raise goes to the charity and you then get an all expenses paid adventure trip (more details later in the presentation). Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

4. Introduction: The Savannah Trek The charity challenge proposed here is organised by Soil for Life, a Cape Town based NGO (more info on Soil for Life later). The venue is the Marrick Farm, an extensive area in the Northern Cape’s savannah region just above Kimberley, South Africa. The trek consists of 3 days hiking and 2 days rafting on the mighty orange river. It is a trip into untouched paradise and it brings you right up close to giraffe, buffalo, antelope, baboons and lots, lots more game. Rafting on the orange river is an experience of a lifetime by itself and some rapids along the trip add an extra thrill. Unforgettable. Some inspiration… Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

19. Soil for Life: Problem statement Please have a look at our website for detailed information! “Poverty is the chief reason why people go hungry; they do not have access to food, they are too poor to grow enough or to buy enough food, they do not have the money to exercise demand in the market” Although Cape Town is one of the most cosmopolitan and wealthy cities on the continent, it also hosts some of the most poverty stricken communities in the country. Other problems in these areas include widespread HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other severe diseases, crime, drugs, hunger, low life-expectancy, and high infant mortality. Many of the problems can be significantly improved simply with nutritious, fresh and healthy food. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

20. Soil for Life: About, Vision and Mission Soil for Life is a Non-Profit-Organisation and an Association Not-For-Gain registered under Section 21 of the Companies Act. It was established in 2003. Vision: Our vision is to make a significant and positive contribution to the health, self-confidence and family finance of people in the Western Cape. Mission: Our aims include improving the nutritional and economic status of individuals and communities in urban and rural areas; to develop human potential; to balance human needs with nature’s capacity to sustain life now and in the future. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

21. Soil for Life: Understanding our work (1) Soil for Life teaches people to grow their own food and works with the premise – healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy people. Low cost methods enable gardeners to harvest large amounts of food from small spaces using very little water while, at the same time, turning a vast amount of urban waste into soil food. All activities of Soil for Life start with a garden, but the organisation has looked for ways of creating opportunities for food gardeners to expand their horizons beyond the garden fence, to develop their skills and talents in such a way that they are able to earn money to pay for what they need for a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

22. Soil for Life: Understanding our work (2) To this end, a new initiative was launched called “While Our Gardens Grow…”. It is an opportunity to unlock the enormous potential of large numbers of people in disadvantaged communities. The programme is multi-pronged and includes: food gardening, income generating activities such as plant propagation, seed-saving, vermiculture, compost making, food processing and preserving and crafts; teaching how to set up and run small business and to network within the community. To summarise up: poverty needs to be tackled on many levels; the establishment of a network of pyramids in different areas leads to co-operative activities that broaden the base of the “While our gardens grow…” programme and multiply the spin-offs. A few captions from the field… Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

23. Growing food in the smallest of spaces. • One door-sized vegetable bed can feed a family. • R25 worth of seed can feed a family for a year. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

24. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details A nursery made out of rubbish.

25. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details Newspaper for mulch, a tin with holes in the bottom instead of an expensive watering can, shade net off-cuts stitched to the fence as a wind breaker - all are recycling methods that enable gardeners to maintain their plots without having to spend money.

26. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details Gardens do not only feed the body, they also feed the mind and soul and bring back a feeling of togetherness to the communities.

27. Important details on the event: • More detailes, information on procedures, and FAQs will be added to our website soon. The main points in brief: • Soil for Life will be the organiser of the event and Marrick Farm the host. • Marrick Farm hosts charity challenges only and is highly experienced and professional. • The minimum fundraising target is 2500 Euro. Of these around 50% will be used to cover the costs of the event and 50% are donated to Soil for Life (see also overleaf). • There is a registration fee of 50 Euro. • You, as a group, can chose the dates for the event to happen. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

28. Important details on the event (2): • Return flights, accommodation, and catering are paid. You are free to chose your flight dates. • The funds raised will be allocated to a food gardening programme in Khayelitsha. Soil for Life currently works on a detailed proposal regarding the programme, which will be available to you shortly. • Should the funds exceed the required bugdet for the programme, they will be used to cover Soil for Life operational costs. • Soil for Life will fully disclose all financials around the event at all times. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

29. FAQ: What if people think my challenge is a holiday? Firstly, on the hike you will undertake a physically demanding and most likely mental challenge. You expose yourself to the wild in a part of the world you may never have dreamed of going and where the facilities are basic. Secondly, you commit yourself to months of planning and fundraising which will make a substantial contribution to the charity you are supporting. All these things take commitment, time and effort and are definitely not to be considered an easy holiday. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

30. Useful information: • Visit www.soilforlife.co.za for information on Soil for Life and the event. • The Ultimate Travel Company has carried out many hikes on the Marrick Farm for other NGOs. See what they say at www.utccharitychallenges.co.uk . • Visit www.charitychallenge.com for extensive information. • Visit www.vso.org.uk . VSO is a very large UK based NGO, which has carried out many challenges worldwide. Click on events in the navigation bar to find out more. • Should the above not be satisfactory, try google ‘charity challenge’. Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

31. Contact details: Soil for Life: P.O.Box 53497 Kenilworth 7745 Cape Town www.soilforlife.co.za Phone/fax +27 (0) 21 794 4982 Email: fabian@soilforlife.co.za Fabian cell +27 (0)82 77 00 823 Feel free to email in German or English Introduction Soil for Life Important details FAQ Useful information Contact details

32. Open your mind to this exciting challenge, and experience a trip of a lifetime. All you need to do is get up and start walking…