Charity cycle challenge raises K282,000 for two needy Malawian students
Mission accomplished: the Malawian cyclist Stewart Kambewa, who came to prominence together with his colleague Kwame Kayira when they cycled 1,755kms from Nsanje to Chitipa and back to Blantyre for charity to raise funds to drill one borehole in nine villages in nine districts, successfuly completed his adventure on another charity event by cycling uphill for 10km whist standing on Saturday, September 9.
This time he targeted to raise money to be used to pay for schools fees for two needy Form 4 students — boy and a girl — who are in government secondary schools and so far he has MK282,000 raised in pledges.
Kambewa was challenging the public that if they thought cycling uphill for 10km non-stop from Zomba Metro shop to Ku Chawe Inn whilst standing was impossible, then they should place a bet of any amount.
And he was accompanied by his two friends, Kwame and Humphreys Gerald and they completed the task in just 45 minutes. And to prove he was apt to the task of doing it syanding all the way, he had the saddle removed from his bike.
The figure reached to MK282,000 after Ulaya Classic, a body building outfit managed by renowned body builder, Charles Ulaya — one of the founders and pioneers of Weightlifting & Bodybuilding Association — made a pledge of K50,000 after the trio had completed the adventure which was dubbed Chawe Challenge.
And he also received pledges from others who had seen his Facebook post that he did his feat in 45 minutes. And as a means of celebrating the achievement, the trio cycled back to the foot of the mountain in under 15 minutes.
Ulaya Classics was filming the event and would be made into a DVD as commercial that people should try exercising using every avenue possible.
Kambewa has earmarked two secondary school students who are bright and brilliant in class but have challenges to raise fees — one a girl (a border) and one a boy (day scholar) who will be identified by both himself and the people who will give cash in support of the Chawe Challenge.
He said he is looking to raise K100,000 for each of the three term of secondary — K45,000 for the border and K15,000 for day scholar. The remaining K40,000 will be for upkeep.
Kambwewa was so exhilarated at completing the task and applauded the people who have made the pledges and asked more to come forward and donate to this noble cause.
He chose Chawe uphill route because it is tough and that the issue of students dropping out of school because of lack of fees is in the same context as taking up this challenge.
“They have an uphill to climb, getting the fees is not easy for them. So, let us stand up and fight for them.
What prompted him to venture into this was last year in September, whilst he had gone for an interview at MBCtv, he met a woman who had gone at the station to ask for help as she was failing to raise school fees for her son.
“This saddened me but I couldn’t help then. Since that time I have seen and heard a lot os stories of students dropping out of school both in secondary as well as colleges.”
For the 1,755kms adventure done last year, they set off on October 1 from Marka, Nsanje arriving Chitipa through Lakeshore Road on the 8th before travelling back to Mzuzu to Blantyre through Lilongwe arrived in Blantyre on October 15.
From the start, the group attracted partnership with Non Governmental Organisation Water Aid, which mobilised other NGOs in the country to support the initiative and a special welcome reception was organised for the cyclists as they passed through Lilongwe where high ranking officials from NGOs in Lilongwe and other government officials and the media.
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