Matthew Murray and Charles Raw ran 1 250km over 35 days to help a KZN school and raised R600 000 in the process.
The money they raised from the ‘Running Wild’ campaign will help improve the conditions at Velakukhanya Primary School based in Northern KwaZulu-Natal’s KwaNgwenya community. It is the only primary school serving the educational needs of the more than 2 500 children who call this community, home.
The primary feeder creche for Velakukhanya Primary School, is Sicelokuhle Creche, which is also supported by Wild Impact and donors in the region.
Velakukhanya Primary School is an active participant in Wild Impact’s Echo Environmental Education programme, through which it has conducted over 3 000 environmental education lessons and given 772 pupil the chance to go on game drives in the iSimangaliso area.
The school currently has 458 pupils from grade R to grade seven and 13 teachers, including the principal.
“We visited there the other day and they have 70 learners per classroom and their admin block is falling apart.
Pupils at Velakukhanya Primary School. There are up to 70 pupils in a class at the school.
“Their kitchen is out in a room without a roof and like a pot to cook with,” Murray said. “They have very poor conditions but they are making the most of it.
In essence we are hoping to build two classroom blocks and upscale the admin block.”
Friends since they met in grade two at Howick Preparatory School, Matthew Murray and Charles Raw, will be relying heavily on each other as they tackle ‘a marathon a day’ as part of a fundraising initiative to help this impoverished school. Starting on February 1 in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape, they planned to cover a total of 1 250km over 35 days – roughly 40km a day, which is just a few kilometres less than a standard marathon. The route saw them hugging the coastline, before heading inland and finishing at Beau Constantia in the Western Cape winelands.
They are very grateful for the help which has been provided by running coach, Gareth Ford, Sharks bio kineticist, Jimmy Wright, a nutritionist and a podiatrist who has been helping with preparations.
On the road they will be supported by Raw’s brother, Philip, Tracy and Nigel Murray and their friends, the Gardeners.
Asked how they coped with the mental aspects of the challenge, Raw said simply: “Tough minds. You’ve got to go into these things with the mentality that it’s got to happen.
Well, it did. Well done Murray and Charles!
Source: The Witness
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The money they raised from the ‘Running Wild’ campaign will help improve the conditions at Velakukhanya Primary School based in Northern KwaZulu-Natal’s KwaNgwenya community.
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