To raise funds to buy bicycles and equipment for the girls in his Klipfontein Cycling Academy, Nkosilathi Mpofu set himself the epic challenge of riding 3000km in 10 days around the hardcore roads of his native Johannesburg, South Africa…

Starting on the 1 August to coincide with Women’s Month in South Africa, Nkosi was off to a strong start. But real life had other ideas… Midway through the challenge, Nkosi was struck down with a serious fever that landed him at the doctor, who advised him not to ride for at least 5 days. But Nkosi is a stubborn beast. After one day of rest, he was back at it and determined to make up the kilometres he had lost and four massive days of riding followed, including a few bouts of minimal sleep. In the end Nkosi fell short of his goal by a few kilometres.  But that’s not the point. This is about a man willing to sacrifice his few days off a year to dedicate his time and this massive effort to trying to help the kids in his community through the sport that he loves so much – cycling.

The harsh reality of South Africa is that there are many people in need, and the campaign didn’t do as well as expected. Nkosi and his cause are just one of the many appeals at a time when life across the globe is fraught. But the world needs more Nkosi’s – it needs men willing to dedicate time to uplifting girls and making safe spaces for them to thrive. So we implore you to help Nkosi in the last few days before the campaign closes on 17 August 2024 to help him better the lives of the young girls in his community.

Support Nkosilathi at this Back-a-Buddy campaign.