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Riding for Carl Sithole in Soweto!

  • What happened at Carl Sithole?

      21 July 2021

    Morning from New Zealand. I have received a report from Carl Sithole detailing how the money you generously donated impacted kids in their care. It is 4 pages long and includes plenty of photos. Unfortunately I can't share the PDF file through this site. However, if you want to read about the difference you made then drop me an email (mb@salvationarmy.org.nz) and I will send you the report. You really made a difference and had a positive impact on the kids at Carl Sithole.

    Thanks for being a part of my interrupted journey and I do hope wherever you are in the world you are safe and well.

    Mark

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  • Ride Complete

      17 January 2021
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    I'm in Bluff having just completed riding the South Island. It took just 11 days and an hour or 2 to finish after 14 days to ride the North Island. I know that the Carl Sithole children's home has received the funds already and am grateful that you donated to them. It has been a 3000km adventure beyond what I imagined in the nature disneyland that is Aotearoa. Nothing is impossible and humans are capable of far more than we think.

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  • The Final Update

      4 May 2020

    As expected this message is being written from home, it is just a very different situation to what I anticipated! Life has continued just in a very different world to when I left home for Cape Reinga on the 5th of March. There are still people through no action (or inaction) of their own living in poverty and still opportunities for me, with little effort or cost, to help.

    You have been generous beyond what I imagined possible and 175% of the initial goal I worried was too high. I'm not sure if I will be able to post another update here but hope that will be possible so you can hear directly from Carl Sithole Home as they provide clothes, feminine hygiene products and a pizza party!

    Thank you for channeling your generosity through my adventure. It was exciting to see as I was riding and the first thing I checked when I had mobile phone reception after contacting home. I hope you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and making a difference in your community as you have to the Carl Sithole Home.

    Take care and stay generous,

    Mark

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  • Premature End

      25 March 2020
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    I don't know what is happening where you are, but here in New Zealand we're going into lock down to combat the Covid-19 virus. This meant I had to abandon the ride with a little over 1 week left. Tour Aotearoa organisers asked us all to get home and have let us know that we aren't quitting and will be allowed to continue when the situation and our time allows. So I'm sending this update to you from home after a 160km ride directly to Picton and a ferry that brought me home. It is really gutting as the body was holding up well and I was ahead of schedule. However, my intention is to complete the ride later in the year when the situation has improved and my schedule permits. This is unfinished business for me!

    The attached photo is from dawn where I was camping on the morning I had to figure out how to get home. Luckily I wasn't much further into the ride as it would have made getting home significantly more challenging and costly.

    I really appreciate all the messages I've received and the contributions you have all made to the Carl Sithole. It will make an enormous difference and I have been stunned by your generosity.

    For now I do hope and pray that you and your loved ones are safe and well.

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  • Rest Day 😬

      20 March 2020
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    I arrived at home a day earlier than expected and at the goal for my fundraising! So I'm taking a day off, sticking with my original ferry crossing booking and spending time with the family. Tomorrow I'll be heading to the South Island to continue. I have a good friend joining me for the South Island and after what I've experienced in the North Island and very excited to continue.

    Thanks for your support and donations to the kids at Carl Sithole. I've been stunned by the level of support and amount of many donations. You have surpassed my expectations and hopes and I am grateful for you giving. The attached photo is of me with Major Rosannah Ntshangase who is the manager at Carl Sithole and was taken when I visited in the last week of February before starting this ride.

    I do hope all is well with you those you love.

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  • Closing in on Halfway

      16 March 2020
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    The last 4 days have had little mobile coverage and shops to get food. Right now I'm working this from a town with just a tavern that is closed! However, the owner had a sign for TA riders advising us to come around the back. They put on dinner, tent sites, and breakfast for a really reasonable rate. They tell us that the ride is a real boon for them and their business.

    Every meal I eat is like a party! There are pies, pizza, burgers, cakes, muffins, fuzzy y drinks and flavoured milk! This seems fitting given Carl Sithole will be getting their pizza party 👍🏼

    Today I was surprised by my brother-in-law literally appearing beside me on the road (in his truck). We were able to have lunch together which was a really highlight. He snapped this photo of me around the 1150km mark. The halfway point is around day 13.

    Thanks for donating to them and please feel free to keep spreading the word. I'm amazed at how generous you have all been and how many people have been willing to give.

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  • I'm Underway 👌🏼

      7 March 2020
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    Day 1 was brutal with a fierce headwind holding me back. I came up short of the target but the kindness of a stranger meant I slept indoors and had a shower. Today (day 2) was a late start as I had to wait for the tide before riding the final 14km on the beach. The initial plan was to stop after a ferry trip, but the guide book suggested none of the shops would be open so I pressed on for the original destination. So I'm back on track and about to spend the first night in the tent 👌🏼

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  • Stretch Goal!

      1 March 2020

    I'm absolutely stunned by people's generosity and how before I even started the ride we hit the goal that included a pizza party! How amazing for the kids at Carl Sithole home. Rather than simply stop because we hit the initial goal I've decided to push the target out to $5000.

    This is more than I imagined possible and initial the $3000 goal seemed wildly ambitious. However, so many people have given and the kids will definitely get some sports uniforms as well as school uniforms. While my kids may not be excited by this I know from the Manager their they are exited this possibility.

    I'm incredibly thankful to those who have already donated and hope this gets spread wider than just my network so those with so little have opportunities they previously couldn't.

    Thanks everyone 😬

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  • Direct from Carl Sithole!

      29 February 2020
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    This week I was in Johannesburg and was able to again visit the Carl Sithole Children's Home. The video that is part of this page doesn't quite capture the state of the place so I thought I'd share a photo. It shows the swimming pool that hasn't been used for quite some time (and yes, there was barbed wire on the fence surrounding it)!

    Speaking to the manager (not the one in the video), the monies raised will provide netball uniforms for their teams (they're currently without), replacement school uniforms, and feminine hygiene products. The latter 2 of these are necessities that they find it difficult to stay on top of.

    They love the idea of a pizza and I love the thought of all the kids having this little party thanks to your generosity.

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  • Almost time to ride!

      29 February 2020
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    I'm in transit to so I can start tomorrow. First incident was my cutlery was confiscated by airport security, 2nd incident the flight from Auckland to Whangarei was cancelled!

    No problem though as Air NZ chartered a very comfortable and spacious bus to have me arrive just a couple of hours later than expected. Rest of the day will be assembling bike, purchasing gas (for the cooker), cutlery, and catching up with friends who live in Whangarei.

    It feels unnerving having so little gear with me, everything I'm taking off pictured below! It all fits to the bike including a tent, cooker, food and water. Really looking forward to the ride and excited about how the fund raising has been going. Looks like the kids at Carl Sithole will be getting their pizza party thanks to you and your donation!

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  • What a 1st week!

      20 February 2020

    I'm stunned by the generosity shown in the first week of my Give a Little. As it happens I'm travelling with work at the moment and will be visiting the Carl Sithole home next week. Watch for an update from me after I've visited and spoken with the manager.

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  • $3000 Goal!

      11 February 2020

    3000km is further than any adventure I've ever done by a factor of at least 10 so why not aim for $1 per km? Writing that seems outrageously high given the people I will be distributing this to. However, if I didn't aim beyond my capability I wouldn't even be taking the adventure on.

    On one hand $3000 doesn't seem like a lot and yet at the same time not raising that will feel like I've come up short and failed (much like if I don't make it from Cape Reinga to Bluff).

    I am hopeful that that those I know and send this to will forward it on to others so the kids at Carl Sithole Home can have a little more tomorrow than they do today.

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