Fourways - On Friday morning, 11 July, Zelda la Grange, DJ Fresh, Saint Seseli, Angie Khumalo, Anele Mdoda, Alex Caige, Clint Cunningham and Johrne van Huyssteen will don helmets to take part in another Bikers for Mandela Day ride.
According to La Grange, Madiba's former assistant and patron of the 1st for Women Foundation, "Violence against women continues unabated in South Africa, so we have dedicated our 2014 journey to the survivors of gender-based violence - to encourage more women to speak out, to take action, to follow through so that the attackers can be brought to book."
The riders will support organisations that assist survivors of gender based violence and rape in Diepsloot, Vryburg, Kimberley and Bloemfontein.
Their first stop will be to meet the founder of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, Carolyn Steyn, at Afrika Tikkun, an organisation dedicated to investing in education, health and social services for children, youth and their families, where they will distribute hand-made blankets to 67 Diepsloot-based beneficiaries.
From there they'll ride to the Caritas Community Focus care centre in Vryburg for people affected by poverty, drug abuse and domestic violence, where the riders will spend 67 minutes packing rape survivor care kits and painting the organisation's contact details on a wall. The Ist for Women Foundation will also hand over a cheque for R100 000 to Caritas Community Focus.
"We encourage all South Africans to make every day a Mandela Day."
The next day the group will ride to Kimberley and spend 67 minutes packing rape survivor care kits at the Grace Divine Outreach Centre. The 1st for Women Foundation will also hand over a cheque for R100 000 to the Centre, which provides short-term safe house accommodation for rape survivors and offers the survivors counselling, court preparation and support, HIV testing and counselling and aftercare services in association with the Galeshewe Thuthuzela Care Centre.
On Sunday, 13, the team will spend 67 minutes building a jungle gym and help with painting at Bloem Shelter in Bloemfontein, which cares for 90-100 homeless persons daily and provides accommodation for babies, pregnant women, children, families, single women, the elderly and men - victims of abuse, addiction, financial difficulties, mental problems and human trafficking.
The 1st for Women Foundation will also hand over a cheque for R100 000 to the Centre
"There are so many simple ways we can do to help, and the great thing is that it doesn't necessarily have to cost a cent,” La Grange said.”Acts of kindness such as volunteering at your local charity organisation or reading to those who can't - it all counts."