Social runner, Themba Mathebula is running 450KM in 12 Days from Centurion to Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga to raise funds for school shoes and sanitary towels for underprivileged school children.

It is estimated that young girls miss up to 50 days of school in a year because they lack access to adequate sanitary towels due to high cost.

On 04 December 2020, Themba will begin the 12 day run at his running club, Irene Athletics Club from Centurion, Gauteng planning to arrive in his hometown in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga on 15 December.

With just 4 days to go to the run, the campaign has garnered more than 30{f2f6eebbe44fcf502cfa922492400162cc3e6924391fb14e48ab3238d41ce391} (R 20 850.07) of the R60 000 target in donations from generous South Africans. The campaign has also received a major boost from the Imbumba Foundation. The Foundation, through its Caring4Girls project, has committed to a brand match of sanitary pads up to a total value of R15,000. The commitment means the campaign can reach more underprivileged young girls and help them to stay in school in 2021.
“I am humbled by the generous commitment and support from the Imbumba Foundation. It is a massive boost to our efforts to ensure that a girl child from an underprivileged background is not excluded from learning because they lack access to basic sanitary towels,” said Themba.

Young boys and girls in rural communities dropout of school because they lack school shoes and cannot walk barefoot during the freezing winter months. It is estimated that young girls miss up to 50 days of school in a year because they lack access to adequate sanitary towels due to high cost.
“Denying young girls access to education is another form of gender based violence which needs to be tackled and eradicated. Girls in rural areas deserve an equal opportunity to stay in school all year in order to realise their dreams,” said Themba

Ends
About the campaign:
The 450Km run for school shoes and sanitary towels campaign plans to raise at least R60 000 to help keep 450 young boys and girls in school in 2021. The campaign is hosted on BackABuddy for electronic donations. The BackABuddy Foundation has been appointed to administer the funds.

To donate and for more info: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/themba
About Imbumba: The Imbumba Foundation is a non-profit organisation focusing on empowering the youth, specifically investing in the education and development of the girl child. For more info: http://www.caring4girls.com

Themba Mathebula Bio:
Themba is a 36 year old social runner based in Gauteng. He was born in Bushbuckridge in a small village called Hlamalani ka Mpisane. He started running in 2015 with the goal to lose excess weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. This time he has turned his passion for running to benefit a good cause close to his heart – access to education. He is an External Communications and Reputation Management expert, and an MBA candidate.