ROTARY AIDS HIKE A HUGE SUCCESS!!!

.
In just 20 days...

we hiked over 2010 kilometres across South Africa...

visited 33 Rotary Clubs...
spoke in 20 communities in 4 provinces...

raised awareness through dozens of local newspapers articles...

and interviews on KayaFM, RSG and Cape Talk Radio...

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and...

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WE RAISED MORE THAN US$10,000

FOR AIDS ORPHANS!

Die Burger (the largest Afrikaans newspaper covering the Western Cape of South Africa and the city of Cape Town) featured the Rotary AIDS Hike as its lead story on the front page!

Yomiuri Shinbun (Japan) covered about our 20days walk from Johannesburg to Cape Town on their New Year's Eve Edition!

To learn more about the HIKE and to follow OUR STORY day by day, see below...

Day 20: Somerset West - Cape Town

Total Distance Covered: 2,010 km

Distance Remaining: 0 km

WE’VE ARRIVED!!!!!!!

We had a great surprise this morning…Lisa, a member of the Somerset West Rotary Club, joined us to hike the last 94 kilometers into Cape Town.

Then, as we hiked through Somerset West on our way to Cape Town, we received an unexpected phone call to inform us that Bidvest – a South African based holding company has agreed to donate R9,000 to the Hike. What a great way to start the last day of the hike!

We began this twenty days ago…the six of us hiking together through Johannesburg’s Soweto Township. What an amazing feeling to now hike through Cape Town – having crossed the country, covering 2010 kilometers – to finally reach the Waterfront.

As we hiked into the Waterfront, we were met by the Rotary Club of Cape Town, the Waterfront Rotary Club, and members of other clubs from the area. After a lot of hugs and pictures, and an interview with Die Burger – the main Afrikaans newspaper covering Cape Town and the entire Western Cape – we went to Mugg and Bean at the Waterfront to celebrate.

It was great to have so many people there to celebrate it with us, and the gifts and donations that were made to the hike were a wonderful surprise. What a great way to celebrate the completion of the hike!

After the reception, we walked back to where we’d parked the support vehicles. It was a bit sad to peel the Hike logos off the van…our long trek now at its end.

We checked out our tan lines and blisters…the physical record of the last twenty days on our bodies.

Kelly and Ikumi are flying back to Johannesburg tonight. Ryan is heading back home to Boston in the morning. Keegan is heading up to the West Coast to spend Christmas with Ruan’s family. And Jacob is joining his cousin in Cape Town…

so, with hugs and smiles, a very real sense of accomplishment and a lot of memories…we all said our goodbyes and hit the road.

The 2006 Rotary AIDS Hike – Johannesburg to Cape Town

2010 kilometers in 20 days to highlight the needs of the 20 million children that will be orphaned by AIDS by 2010.

Day 19: Caledon - Somerset West

Total Distance Covered: 1,916 km
Distance Remaining: 94 km

We were all extremely tired this morning and had a hard time getting out of bed.

After a delicious breakfast, we hit the road. Now that we’re getting so close to Cape Town, the traffic has become extremely heavy. Thankfully, we had a pretty light day of hiking as we only had to cover 93 kilometers. Again, the mountains in the distance and the vast open scenery was gorgeous!

It was quite amusing at one point…having hiked 8 kilometers, Ikumi came up to the van complaining about something poking her foot through her shoe…She took the shoe off and found a screw had gone all the way through. WOW!

The view of Somerset West as we came over the mountain was absolutely gorgeous...it’s hard to believe we’ve come so far.

We had a great afternoon and evening with the Somerset West Rotary Club!

Only 94 kilometers to go to Cape Town…WE’RE ALMOST THERE!

Day 18: Rest Day in Swellendam

Total Distance Covered: 1,823 km
Distance Remaining: 187 km

Ryan and Ikumi cooked us a delicious breakfast and we were able to relax all morning which was a great change of schedule! Over the last few days, we’ve been able to cover a greater distance than we had mapped out, so we were able to take today off.

So…after hiking over 1,800 kilometers, what does one do on their rest day? HIKE SOME MORE! We spent the whole day playing tourist and walking all over the beautiful city of Swellendam, the third oldest city in South Africa after Cape Town and Stellenbosch. We checked out the local art galleries and shops, admired the gorgeous old architecture, and we found the perfect bag for Kelly and the girls tried on matching outfits.

We headed up to the berry farms at the base of the mountain and had a great time raiding the blackberry bushes…the area was stunningly beautiful!

While the day was mostly one of rest and relaxation, we were still quite productive. Around 5:00 this evening, Keegan gave a great interview on Cape Talk Radio – spreading our message throughout the Western Cape!

We’ve been really lucky to have received great media coverage throughout the hike…especially with radio stations. Ryan, Ikumi and Kelly were interviewed on Kaya FM in Johannesburg. Ruan was interviewed on RSG, the primary Afrikaans radio station covering the entire country. And now Keegan’s covered the Western Cape with Cape Talk Radio.

We spent the night at the stunning Athenian Villa Bed & Breakfast (www.athenianvilla.co.za) in Caledon, a town famous for its natural hot water springs. It was an amazing place and the Caledon Rotary Club made us feel right at home. Thanks Peter & Carol!

Day 17: Mossel Bay - Swellendam

Total Distance Covered: 1,775 km
Distance Remaining: 235 km

The day started off amusingly. As we packed our bags and were preparing to leave this morning, Kelly & Ikumi accidentally locked themselves in the bedroom. For 10 minutes, the girls struggled with the door, trying to free themselves. Thoroughly amused by the situation and wanting to tease them a bit, the guys were none too helpful in getting them out.

After having breakfast and saying our goodbyes to Kate, Guy, Georgie and Thomas, we hit the road. It was just another day on the long road…we covered a good 144 kilometers and were quite worn out by the end of it all and in a good bit of pain.

We haven’t written much about the injuries and the pain we’ve gone through over the course of the hike, but there have been several hours and days of excruciating pain.

Kelly, Ikumi and Ruan have all struggled with heat rashes (Kelly’s heat rash in particular became quite bad and began blistering). We’ve all struggled on and off with sunburn, although this has, surprisingly, been the least of our concerns. Normally little more than a painful annoyance, the pain of blisters has been the bane of the hike so far. The pain of the blisters is amplified hour by hour as you continue to hike on them nonstop. At this point, new blisters are forming on top of existing blisters and the pain is unbelievable. Beyond the blisters, it is amazingly painful to get up in the morning and to try to keep an 8km/hour pace with sore muscles and cramps. Given the speed we’re trying to maintain, it is extremely hard on the shins and, now two weeks into the hike, the first hour or two of hiking every day is excruciatingly painful. The muscle strain and stress on the bones and joints seems to be accumulating as well. While there were times in the beginning of the hike where a muscle would be very sore or you’d feel like you twisted your ankle, there is now constant aching in the joints and old injuries seem to be coming back. If we all get through this without any stress fractures, it will be quite surprising and a real blessing!

We’ve hiked through blood, sweat and tears. And while it’s been extremely challenging physically, and often quite painful, it’s been an exceptionally meaningful, amazing experience and we are so happy to be making this trek across South Africa. We still have a couple hundred miles to go to reach Cape Town and, while we’re going to be very happy to reach our destination, there will no doubt be a very real sense of sadness as well. We’ve become very comfortable with our daily routine and the constant companionship of 5 sweaty, tired, sore friends. There will, no doubt, be a tangible sense of loss and sadness amid the excitement and joy of reaching Cape Town.

The land is absolutely beautiful here and the natural flora and fynbos of the region is unlike anything we’re used to.

We enjoyed the fine company of Marie & Garrick over dinner and headed off to the Swellendam caravan park for the night. The guys all shared beds and slept on the floor in order to allow the girls to have their own beds. WHAT FINE YOUNG GENTLEMEN!

Day 16: George - Mossel Bay

Total Distance Covered: 1,631 km
Distance Remaining: 379 km

It’s a great day…Ikumi is back! Her bus arrived in George this morning and we picked her up and hit the road. She’d worn her hiking outfit on the 17-hour bus ride, so she was ready to hit the pavement the moment she arrived. Words can’t express how happy we are to have her back…it just hasn’t been the same the last five days without her!

To celebrate Ikumi’s return…we decided to splurge and open up the jar of mayonnaise! For two weeks we’ve eaten tuna out of the can everyday without anything but a little salt and pepper to enhance the taste (which woefully is NOT enough). Without proper refrigeration we’ve been unable to open the mayo for fear that it would go bad. So, to celebrate her homecoming, we threw caution to the wind and treated ourselves with a can of warm tuna AND MAYO!

Kelly was absolutely amazing today. Hiking for two hours straight, Kelly covered 19 km (on the best of days, at our fastest, we average just over 16km in 2 hours). Ruan and Keegan tried jogging three times to keep up with her walking pace, but couldn’t handle it and finally had to give up (Ryan did a much better job of keeping pace with her today). By the time Kelly reached the support vehicle waiting for them, the rest of the hikers were almost 2 km behind her. Despite the longer legs on the guys, no one could keep up with her. Way to go Kels!

We finished up early today and hit the beach to hike our last 5km...a nice treat at the end of a long day. The beach was beautiful, but a bit dangerous. There were thousands of jellyfish close to the shoreline and many were washing up onto the beach. They look like little jelly bubbles with a long bright blue jelly string. In Afrikaans, they’re called Blou Blasies (Blue Blisters)…and if you make the mistake of stepping on one of them on the beach or have the misfortune of swimming into one in the ocean, a blister would be the least of your worries as the searing pain of the blasie is debilitating for days. So, while it was fun to hike on the gorgeous beach, we had to spend most of the time staring at our feet (to make sure we didn’t take a wrong step) and couldn’t actually enjoy the view of the ocean breaking on the sands or the gorgeous mountains in the distance. We’re all exceptionally sore and injuries are beginning to accumulate, so we can’t afford to lose a hiker to, of all things, a jellyfish sting.

Kate & Guy (and their great kids) were our hosts for the evening in Mossel Bay. Quite thankfully, Kate is a pharmacist. Ryan’s been nursing the massive blisters he developed at the start of the hike and Kelly has been struggling with several small, but very painful blisters on her feet over the last few weeks.

A friend of Kate’s is a doctor who quite graciously offered to treat the blisters. The process, however, turned out to be quite disgusting and immensely painful (but hopefully effective). The liquid is drained from the blister with a syringe and then surgical spirits (alcohol) is injected in its place, causing the most immense pain for about 10 minutes. Jacob had to hold onto Kelly through the painful ordeal as Ruan rubbed her back and patted her leg (Keegan took the semi-sadistic photos of the ordeal so that we could save these beautiful memories for posterity…and so we can share them with you all). Ryan was next to be treated and after the blister treatment found out he had sand under the skin of his heal. So, without warning, the doctor literally ripped the skin off his heal and poured alcohol over it in order to prevent infection. The flesh of the heal being pealed off was, without question, the most painful looking thing we’d ever seen in our lives. It showed a lot of strength and character for Ryan to remain positive and not get upset through the whole ordeal. We can only hope it will speed up the healing process and he and Kelly will be able to hike through the pain over the next few days.

Day 15: Plettenberg Bay - Knysna - George

Total Distance Covered: 1,516 km
Distance Remaining: 494 km

It was a very special day today. We hit the road at 7am and put in a strong 4 hours before we were met by some of the members of the Rotary Club of Knysna (pronounced Nie-S-Nuh), the wonderful woman heading the Knysna AIDS Council and 14 of the vulnerable children her program provides for (only the 14 were around this time of year as most of the children supported by the program were with extended families and caregivers for the holidays).

The kids were absolutely precious and it was so much fun to talk to them and play a bit as we all walked through the town together. As before, it was great to see the kids and be reminded of the purpose of this long trek across South Africa and why we’re all here. It was hard to leave these beautiful children behind in Knysna, but we’ve got a long way left to go and only a few days to hike it.

It was a beautiful day as we hiked through the ostrich farms of George and Knysna. At a few points, the road became quite dangerous, however. As Keegan and Ruan hiked out of Knysna, there was 2 kilometers of road with no safe space to walk. A gorgeous stretch of highway, the sheer rock face of the cliffs rises two feet from the edge of the road. On the other side, the road immediately falls away to the water of the bay. A beautiful, winding road to drive…you would be hard pressed to find more unsafe hiking conditions. Ruan and Keegan had no choice but to hike on the road itself, trying to stick as close to the cliff face as possible as the cars rushed past less than a foot from their bodies. Thirty minutes and a lot of nervous energy later, they made it through that stretch and were very happy to be back on regular roads.

As we all hiked towards George, a dozen paragliders flew overhead and the most beautiful dark blue waves were crashing pure white into the sand in the distance. The ocean is stunning here and in places, the rocks of the cliffs bank down onto the beach and into the water…it’s absolutely beautiful.

Hiking up and around a massive hill, we were surprised to find six large adult baboons walking only a few yards away. All of the “WARNING – Feeding the Baboons is Prohibited” signs we’d seen since entering the Western Cape now made sense. It’s a good thing the baboons didn’t know how much tuna, fruit and peanut butter we’re stashing in the van to get us through the hike…if they had, none of the hikers would have been safe!

Fortunately, we made it past without incident, attack or any unrequited baboon love interest.

As we came into town, we were met by members of the George Rotary Club. The daughter of one of the club members had brought along her pet rabbit and Jacob quickly became attached and we weren’t sure if the poor girl would ever get her bunny back!

We’ve been lucky to see a lot of absolutely gorgeous architecture from the road…especially some of the old Cape Dutch houses and churches. In George, there’s a breathtaking, historic Dutch Reform Church…when we came upon it, it was flanked by ominous dark gray clouds and you could almost smell the brimstone of a century of Calvinist sermons.

We had slightly different sleeping arrangements in George. Ruan’s aunt and uncle live there, so Ruan and Keegan stayed with them to help celebrate his cousin’s birthday. It was a great time, although the guys were worn out from the day of hiking and had to head to bed 6 hours before the party ended. The rest of the gang – Ryan, Kelly and Jacob – stayed with members of the George Rotary Club and had an excellent braai that evening!

Most importantly…we’re all really excited to be getting Ikumi back! After struggling with the incompetent bureaucracy of the Department of Home Affairs for two days to try to work out her visa issues, she’s taking a 17-hour bus ride to catch up to us. She should be arriving at the bus station tomorrow morning around 9am…barring any unexpected breakdowns of the bus. It’s been a tough five days without her (emotionally and physically). Ikumi has an amazingly calming influence on the group and it just hasn’t felt the same without her. Her absence has also meant we have to hike, on average, an extra 24 km each day…so having her back will be a blessing for our feet as well as our spirits! COME HOME IKUMI!

Day 14: Jeffrey's Bay - Plettenberg Bay

Total Distance Covered: 1,412 km
Distance Remaining: 598 km

We could not have asked for more perfect weather to hike in today. It was slightly cloudy and then became completely overcast and was cool enough that, even at a fast pace, we didn’t sweat. If only we’d had this kind of weather a week ago when we were hiking 200 and 160 km days.

We covered 125 km in total and kept our pace just under 8km/hour. We’ve been lucky to see a lot of absolutely beautiful land thus far on the hike, but today was uniquely stunning. The Tsitsikama area is absolutely beautiful and Nature’s Valley, in particular, is breathtaking. As we hiked, we were treated to glimpses of the coastline and ocean every so often to the south and just to the north was the near constant companionship of the small mist-draped mountains. Having now hiked through the city at the start of the hike in Gauteng Province, the dry grasslands and farms of the Free State, the hills and mountains of the Eastern Cape, it was wonderful to reach the lush vegetation, coastline and gorgeous scenery of the Western Cape today.

The natural beauty of the area we hiked through today is fascinating…the winter and summer rainfall regions of South Africa meet here in the Kouga region, creating a temperate climate in which the lush evergreen forests of the Tsitsikamma meet the fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom and where the semi-arid Klein Karoo Scrub Bush meets the Valley Bushveld. The untouched mountains of the Baviaanskloof Wilderness and the Gamtoos and Langkloof Valleys form a fertile passageway in which the warm, dry air of the Karoo desert meets the moist air of the eastern seaboard. This is also where the warm currents of the Indian Ocean meet the cold waters of the Atlantic, creating the unique conditions for a remarkable diversity of marine life.

Beyond the natural beauty of the area, this is where the ancient San hunter-gatherers migrated to meet the Khoi pastoralists to form the world’s oldest known cultural group – the Khoisan, who recorded their existence in the rock art that still survives in thousands of caves and rock formations throughout the area. Sadly, we didn’t have time to stop and see any of the ancient rock art. NEXT TIME!

After we’d finished hiking for the day, we had an hour to spare before we were to meet our hosts. So, we stopped to see the beautiful Storms River gorge and then hiked 1km (which, when worn out and sore at the end of the day, feels exceptionally far) to see what the locals all refer to as the “Big Tree”. It’s an absolutely massive yellow wood. Can’t quite compare to the redwoods in the United States, but still would take 8 adults holding hands to reach around it, so it’s really something to see.

That evening, the Plettenberg Rotary Club took us out for dinner. Despite us all being exceptionally tired and needing sleep, the hake was delicious and the company very good.

Day 13: Port Elizabeth - Jeffrey's Bay

Total Distance Covered: 1,287 km
Distance Remaining: 723 km

We packed out our vehicles this morning and went to meet up with some local Rotarians (ADG Kevin, RFFA Rep. Marike and Karen) at Emanuel Haven, a wonderful program to assist HIV positive individuals monitor their health and CD4 count, access and take anti-retroviral (ARV) medications regularly, receive regular meals and nutritional support, and assist local children left vulnerable and at risk as a result of HIV/AIDS.

At Emanuel Haven we met a true angel. Mama Isabel is in her 70s and, despite being retired and financially supported by the government’s old age pension, continues to work everyday. She’s been a nurse for over 40 years and continues to manage the day-to-day needs of the program’s 200+ patients, providing support and love to everyone she comes in contact with. After discussing Emanuel Haven’s programming and needs and giving us a tour of their new facilities, Mama Isabel explained why she has worked to assist the poorest and those most in need most of her life and why she has now, in the later years of her life, dedicated herself to fighting AIDS and assisting those in the late stages of illness. Her words were absolutely touching.

We are, each of us, so amazingly blessed in life with opportunities and abilities and potential. And, that is the vantage point from which we must assess our purpose and our obligation to the many (most) who are less fortunate than ourselves. Our commitment to the suffering and those in need is the true measure of our character and what truly matters in the end.

It was great to spend time with her…to give us a bit of perspective as we face the last 1000km of the hike. We’ve given up a month of our lives and committed quite a bit of our own money. Our bodies are sore, we’re short of sleep and in quite a lot of physical pain. And while what we are doing is wonderful and our commitment is genuine, we should, each of us, be willing to commit much more to assist those in need. There have been many wonderful experiences and memories on this hike thus far, but for most of us, our short time with Mama Isabel was without question the most meaningful.

Once we got on the road, we made great time. The weather was cool and it was fairly cloudy, so we couldn’t have asked for better hiking conditions. Of course, we still put on the sunscreen…some of our best burns have come from overcast days!

Jeffrey’s Bay was our destination that evening. Jeffrey’s Bay is well known as “the home of the perfect wave” and is home to the first Billabong store and is the site of the annual Billabong Pro surfing competition where the worlds 44 top surfers compete. Dolphin and whale sightings are a daily occurrence in Jeffrey’s Bay, but sadly, as with the Addo Reserve elephants yesterday, we didn’t see any as we hiked in to town.

When we arrived in J. Bay, we met up with Gina, our gracious host for the evening. After much needed showers, we settled in for drinks and dinner with some of the local Rotarians and had a wonderfully relaxed evening and delicious dinner. The homemade hot chocolate sauce was especially good…Thanks Gina!

Day 12: Grahamstown - Port Elizabeth

Total Distance Covered: 1,207 km
Distance Remaining: 803 km

We hiked past the Addo Elephant Reserve (home to a herd of more than 450 elephants) and the Shamwari Reserve. We kept our eyes peeled as we hiked, but sadly we couldn’t see any elephants from the road…there was, however, a couple little herds of bushbok and springbok in the distance. For a South African, that is about as exciting as an American seeing white-tailed deer in a field along the highway…but, for those of us not yet used to seeing them, it’s still fun to catch a glimpse of the bok (for those of you wondering…bushbok are similar to a very large deer or a small elk without horns and springbok are similar to small deer or a gazelle without horns).

It was fun to hike past the Port of Nguqa and the salt flats of the Cerebos Salt Company on the way to our destination. The flats are flooded regularly with the sea water, allowed to dry and crystallize, and then harvested, purified, packaged and shipped. Having used Cerebos salt all year, it was fun to actually see the salt flats where it comes from.

Around noon we hiked over one last hill and the ocean and the most massive sand dunes we’d ever seen came into sight (some must have been 5 stories high, absolutely dwarfing the houses in front of them). In Iowa at least, the dunes would be considered mountains. It was absolutely breathtaking to see these pale golden sand dunes set off by the striking contrast of the dark blue of the Indian Ocean beyond them.

Sadly, we were not able to enjoy the scenery for long. From the first day of the hike, we’ve been blessed with very little traffic on the roads and very safe hiking conditions. As we got close to Port Elizabeth, however, that changed quite rapidly. Hiking along the highway as we came into the city, we found nearly constant traffic (mostly due to the seasonal migration of South African holidaymakers to the coast) and spent most of the time hiking in the rough grass for fear of the semis and other vehicles swerving into the median in order to pass slower traffic. It was a rough on the legs, slowed us down a bit, and required a bit of nerve-wracking driving in order to get the support vehicles stopped on the side of the highway to pick up the last of the hikers, but we made it safely and were very happy to be done. Let’s hope the traffic eases and hiking conditions improve in the days ahead.

After finishing up our day’s 130 kilometers, we drove into Port Elizabeth to meet and stay the night at Ruan’s father’s home. While Kelly & Ryan enjoyed a braai with members of the Port Elizabeth and Port Elizabeth West Rotary Clubs, Ruan and Keegan washed and cleaned the van and Jacob slept. We all met back at Martin & Theresa’s home and enjoyed an absolutely delicious beef poitjie (stew).

It was so nice to be able to do our laundry, clean out the van, and just relax all evening. We’re finding ourselves more and more tired every day, despite getting a full night’s sleep most every night. We seem to be both physically wearing out and emotionally wearing down a bit. The physical strain is accumulating day-to-day and we’re really missing Ikumi.

Day 11: King William's Town - Grahamstown

Total Distance Covered: 1,077 km
Distance Remaining: 933 km

We’re all extremely sore and battling with shin splints, sore muscles, blisters, heat rash and sunburns, but we’ve now reached the southern coast of the country and passed the halfway mark of the hike…less than 1,000km left to Cape Town! There have been some very tough days and certainly more surprises to come, but we’re ready for the next 1,000 km.

Ruan, Keegan and Jacob had a tough time today, all suffering from really bad shin splints. At one point, Ruan was almost in tears from the pain, but we all pushed through and covered 120 km in good time. It was extremely hot as we hiked and “Revenge of the Heat Rash” was the theme of Kelly’s day. After hiking 15 km, her left leg had gone completely red and the skin was raised in a rash. By the time she’d covered 20km, the rash had begun to blister and was extremely painful. Despite the pain, Kelly was a trooper and kept going.

We arrived in Grahamstown and, thankfully, Keegan’s host was a pharmacist. Kelly made her third visit to a pharmacist on the hike to get some medication for her heat rash. By the next morning, the heat rash had disappeared…thanks Audrey!

Thanks to everyone in the Grahamstown Rotary Club for a great evening and a wonderful dinner (especially Debbie for the amazingly delicious Thai chicken). We had a great time in Grahamstown.

Day 10: Rest Day in East London

Total Distance Covered: 957 km
Distance Remaining: 1,053

We hiked extra yesterday so that we could take today off. The bodies are aching and we could use a break psychologically now that we’ve nearly reached the halfway mark of our journey.

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After breakfast with the Stutterheim Rotary Club, they took us to visit the Stutterheim Hospital’s Step-Down Program, a unique hospice program serving HIV+ patients. The program is critical as individuals with AIDS are often stigmatized and abandoned by family and friends when their illness becomes known. Beyond serving the needs of economically disadvantaged families that can not afford appropriate end-of-life treatment and care, the program, thus, provides for patients left destitute by families and communities unwilling to assist them at the end of their life.

The program is amazing…but what really touched us were the women that make it happen! The program is independently funded and run by local women from the black township that come in several days a week and work all day long to feed, bathe, treat and comfort the patients. As anyone that’s worked with hospice knows, it’s very tough work and the day-to-day stress of illness and death takes a heavy toll psychologically on the caregivers. What blew us away is that these women have worked to keep the Step-Down program functioning for two years without being paid. These women come from very low-income households and struggle themselves to provide for their families…yet still willingly give four full days of their week to take care of others so desperately in need. Only now after two years are the women receiving a small stipend…and even it is barely enough to cover their transportation to work and their meals…yet they continue to do it.

These amazing women are the meaning of generosity and compassion. They thanked us for what we are doing and what we’re trying to accomplish with the hike…but they are the ones truly deserving of thanks. These are the heroes…the true humanitarians…that will never be recognized for their works, thanklessly giving of themselves every day of their life to uplift others less fortunate. These are the genuine few we should be emulating!

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TERRIBLE NEWS…Ikumi received word from the South African Department of Home Affairs that her application for an extension on her visa has been rejected. They won’t tell her why over the phone and her visa expires ten days after the hike ends, leaving no time for her to deal with it when we return. So, we had to book a flight for her back to Johannesburg and took her to the airport in East London a few hours ago. She was crying in the car when she found out her visa application had been denied and it was with extremely heavy hearts that we took her to the airport. We’re now down to five hikers and don’t know if or when Ikumi will be able to rejoin us. Emotionally, it’s going to be a big loss without Ikumi around and physically it means we’re going to have to hike, on average, an additional 24 km each day to cover her distance. With Jacob’s injured foot, Kelly’s blisters, Ryan’s torn heal and the strain on our bodies from the first week of hiking, it’s scary to be losing Ikumi (one of the few uninjured and fully healthy hikers) with over 1,000 kilometers and 10 days left to cover South Africa.

We all talked before Ikumi left and we decided…whatever happens, we’re going to reach Cape Town. Even if there’s only one hiker left walking, we’re going to finish this. The hike isn’t about us, and the commitment we made when we started this wasn’t contingent upon our health or physical wellbeing. This is about 20 million children that we have all abandoned. Their suffering is the product of our inaction…the apathy of our governments, the private sector, civil society and each of us as individual citizens. The least we six can do is to finish what we’ve started.

So, please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers…we’re short one hiker and facing quite a few potentially serious injuries fairly early in the hike. We’re going to need a bit of luck here on out.

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We spent the evening with the Rotary Club of King William’s Town. After an interview with the local newspaper, we had a delicious meal and a great discussion with members of the club. We then drove to Dale College (a private boarding school) to spend the night…as all students are gone for the holidays, the boys dormitory of the private high school were our accommodation for the evening. Kelly now has the illustrious honor of (most likely) being the only woman to have ever slept in the boy’s wing in the school’s history. Not sure what such an honor is worth…but regardless, congratulations Kelly!

Day 9: Queenstown - Stutterheim - King William's Town

Total Distance Covered: 957 km
Distance Remaining: 1,053

After hiking in the rain and cold all day yesterday, four of the six hikers have now come down with the flu. We’re feeling under the weather and not making great time, but if we push through a big day of hiking today, we can hopefully rest tomorrow.

Despite our exhaustion, the landscape continues to absolutely amaze us…over the last few days, we’ve hiked through some of the most gorgeous mountains and valleys and grasslands.

It was a quiet day all in all…the only excitement came when Ikumi almost became “Japanese Take-Away” this afternoon. She was hiking a bit slower and fell back a ways behind the rest of the group hiking. Jacob, Ruan and Keegan were ahead and became quite worried when they passed a guy randomly sitting up in some bushes overlooking the road. He was smoking dagga and was obviously drugged up. We were worried about Ikumi coming past him alone, so we decided to take a break and stay there to make sure she was safe.

Lucky Ikumi…she joins the Hike and gets four big brothers for free!

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The Stutterheim Rotary Club graciously hosted us for dinner at the local lawn bowling club. We had a great time, met some absolutely wonderful people and thoroughly enjoyed the delicious dinner.

During our presentation, we were briefly stopped and the members of the club lit a candle and offered a moment of silence. All around the world at that moment, families and friends were lighting candles to remember and honor the lives of children – their own and others – that have lost their lives before their time.

It was a touching moment and exceptionally meaningful for everyone…some of the club members had tragically lost children…Keegan had unexpectedly lost his older brother Brahm earlier this year. Even more, it was particularly poignant given why we were there.

We often focus on HIV+ adults, the brunt of the epidemic, and we disregard the children left destitute and abandoned and vulnerable in the wake of their death. We overlook the millions of children under the age of two that will most likely die within a year of their mother’s death due to malnutrition and neglect. What’s more, we overlook the millions of children that have been born with HIV or are infected through breastfeeding…who will die long before their time, never having even a chance at life.

Lighting that candle was a beautiful act of remembrance and a meaningful way to honor their lives…our only hope is that this hike, in its own way, will accomplish nothing less.

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The Rotary Club of Stutterheim arranged for us to stay at the Manderson Hotel (www.manderson.co.za), an absolutely gorgeous retreat at the base of the Amatola Mountains and the indigenous Kologha Forest. What an amazing night’s sleep…it’s a shame we can’t stay longer.

Day 8: Aliwal North - Queenstown

Total Distance Covered: 813 km
Distance Remaining: 1,197

Somewhere along the way, we must have offended the hiking gods!

Two days ago it was scorching hot and we were all suffering in the heat…yesterday the girls were attacked by a plague of locusts…and today we’re drenched in rain and absolutely freezing. The temperature dropped 25 degrees Celsius overnight. It’s now 11 degrees (about 40 degrees Fahrenheit) and no one can explain it. By all local accounts…this doesn’t happen.

So…what we all thought would never happen has…we’re wishing for more heat!

As it is summer here and we planned for the heat…none of us brought along appropriate hiking gear for these temperatures. We doubled up our shirts and threw on whatever sweatshirts we could find…but Ryan definitely won the award for creativity putting on a very bright red pair of stockings to try to stay warm…with those legs on the road, there’s no way we won’t be seen today!

Having hiked so far over the last two days in 90+ degree heat, we are physically and emotionally exhausted. We stopped for a quick break in the hiking and ended up falling asleep…it wasn’t nearly enough rest, but the nap certainly helped!

After a long and quite miserable day of hiking in the cold, we met up with the Queenstown Rotary Club. We had a delicious poitjie (pronounced POY-KEE) and ate way too much! Thanks for the hospitality guys!

Day 7: Bloemfontein - Aliwal North

Total Distance Covered: 647 km
Distance Remaining: 1,363

We hit the road this morning and hiked all day long…almost no cars, constant heat, and very little to look at. All in all, extremely boring with nothing of interest to note…

And then, absolutely out of nowhere….LOCUSTS!!!!

Kelly and Ikumi were hiking together to catch up to the support vehicles ahead when a cloud of locusts – over a kilometer long – engulfed them. The girls tried to run, but the cloud was too big and they couldn’t get out of it until it had passed. Absolutely frightening for the girls…it was GREAT ENTERTAINMENT for the guys! Keegan and Ruan – hiking 10 kilometers ahead – were treated to a hysterical cell phone call from the girls as they were being swarmed and Ryan and Jacob – waiting for the girls with the support vehicles – thoroughly enjoyed watching the girls frantically running out of the cloud of locusts as it passed.

Who needs Reality TV with entertainment like this?!?!

After the incident, we kept on walking and pushed through the longest day of the hike. With 2-4 hikers on the road at all times, we logged a combined 25 hours of straight hiking and covered over 200km today!

200km may not sound like a great feat. But if it takes two steps to cover a meter of ground…then to cover 200km, we had to take over 400,000 steps today alone! With Ryan’s wounded heal, Kelly’s heat rash and blisters, Ruan’s shin splints, Ikumi’s heat rash, Keegan’s knee problems and Jacob’s stress fracture…we’re feeling every one of those steps and even one more kilometer seems like a VERY long way to go.

Today was very tough, but we were extremely lucky that the temperature has dropped slightly and we were able to put in a full day’s hike, starting to make up yesterday’s lost ground. 90 degrees with some clouds we can handle. It’s when it’s constant sun exposure and in the mid- to high 90s that it really seems to drag us down and we all get worn out.

One thing is for certain…you have to give the girls credit. There aren’t many women that could hike all day long in 90 degree heat, go through such a traumatic ordeal, and still look this good! Now that’s HAT HAIR!

We had a great surprise when we arrived in Aliwal North…it just so happened that our arrival coincided with the Aliwal North Rotary Club’s Christmas Party. We spent the evening at the absolutely stunning Conville Estate, ate the most amazing food and had a wonderful time. The Rotary Club had even made us little presents (with a breakfast bar and menthol foot rub gel…the perfect gift after our longest day on the road and still another 1,100 km to go)! It was a really sweet idea and meant a lot to all of us so far from our homes at Christmastime.

Day 6: Welkom - Bloemfontein

Total Distance Covered: 447 km
Distance Remaining: 1,563

After washing our faces in the gas station bathroom and grabbing a cup of coffee inside, we hit the road! We hung up our wet clothes in the van and laid our wet – but hopefully now clean socks – on the back seat in hopes that they’d air dry as we hiked through the day.

Following doctors orders, Ryan didn’t hike today and stayed off of his feet. After the massive blister first developed on his heal, it popped and a second blister formed from the continued friction. It too has popped and having now lost several layers of skin, what was before a monster of a blister is now a very serious open wound that is both extremely painful and absolutely disgusting! At this point there’s really nothing that can be done except give the skin time heal…although from the looks of it, an exorcism on that heal probably wouldn’t hurt. LOL.

We had the brilliant idea of refilling all of our water bottles in Welkom. What we didn’t know is that Welkom water is putrid and tastes and smells like mildew. Apparently everyone in South Africa (except us) knows Welkom’s water is wretched. We tried mixing it with powerade and with fruit juice, but to no avail. Nothing could make it palatable!

Without our knowledge, Ikumi stopped drinking the water because of its taste. We didn’t realized she wasn’t rehydrating as we hiked…an apparent attempt at turning herself into Japanese biltong (Africaans for “beef jerky”). By early afternoon, she started feeling sick, getting dizzy and looking pale. Fortunately, we caught it while it was only minor dehydration and she didn’t need medical attention, just plenty of fluids and some rest.

Today was an absolute nightmare! 38 degrees (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and not a cloud in the sky. A long black road cutting through barren fields of dry grass as far as the eye can see…and the very real sense that we’re in the middle of nowhere with a long ways to go! The sweat just poured off our bodies and we could barely take in enough fluids to compensate. The hiking was extremely slow and the heat and sun exposure was exhausting. Kelly and Ikumi are getting heat rash and we’re all concerned about heat stroke, so we’re calling it quits early and will try to make up ground over the next few days. Let’s hope this heat won’t last!

There is one small blessing today…we were extremely fortunate to be able to arrange accommodation at the home of Ruan’s great aunt in Bloemfontein (South Africa’s City of Roses). We hadn’t arranged lodging previously (thinking that we’d be walking non-stop day and night through this portion of the hike) so it was a wonderful alternative to sleeping in the car at a gas station a second night in a row. After a quick dip in the pool and a cold shower to cool down after this miserable day, we headed off to have dinner with the Bloemfontein Rotary Club.

Despite most of the club members being gone already for the holidays, we had an excellent dinner and the club couldn’t have been more welcoming. We headed back and hit the sack…the day-to-day exhaustion of the physical strain and the heat seems to be catching up with us.

Day 5: Viljoenskroon - Welkom

Total Distance Covered: 347 km
Distance Remaining: 1,663

We had a special treat this morning. We hiked to Bothaville and had breakfast with members of the Bothaville Rotary Club, a small but very active club. The food was delicious and, again, we were blown away when the club donated to our cause.

Jacob’s previously fractured foot continues to hurt and Ryan’s blisters are getting much worse, so some of the Rotarians helped arrange an appointment with a local doctor in Welkom. After an examination by the doctor and a shot of Voltarin in the butt, the guys were sent back to us with directions to rest their injuries as best they could and try to minimize impact for the rest of the hike. A prescription far easier said than done!

We hiked a little over 100km today – a slow day for us, but the heat was taking its toll and we are down to only four hikers at 100%.

Our plan was to hike all day and all night to cover as much ground as possible. However, that quickly changed tonight when we started hiking after sunset and hundreds of flying beatles began to attack us. After a quick run back to the support vehicles and a brief discussion, we decided that, given that we were covering much more ground than we thought we’d be able to, we can afford to only hike in the daylight.

By this point we had already ourselves out to the middle of nowhere, so we decided to drive back 60km to Welkom in hopes of finding a place to sleep.

Thanks to the generosity of a fine young station attendant, we were allowed to park our cars and sleep at an Engen gas station. It was quite amusing watching everyone take turns trying to bathe and then wash their clothes in the small gas station sink.

A quick change into t-shirts and underwear and we were soon fast asleep in the support van and car. NOT a good night’s sleep, but it was certainly an experience…and I’m sure quite a show with the six of us walking around the gas station parking lot in our underwear, brushing our teeth and getting ready for bed.

Day 4: Parys - Viljoenskroon

Total Distance Covered: 241 km
Distance Remaining: 1,769 km

After refreshing the deodorant and washing up as best we could in the Shell Station’s bathroom, Kim and Jaap met us and took us to lunch with the Viljoenskroon Rotary Club. We gave a presentation to the club and had a great time meeting everyone.

Again we were quite pleasantly surprised when the Viljoenskroon Rotary Club donated to the hike and took a special collection from the club’s members to add to their gift. Words can’t express how meaningful these actions are to us. We’ll never know the great impact these donations will make or how many lives they’ll ultimately influence, but we do know that by providing these children who’ve lost their parents to AIDS with regular meals, an education, and counseling and support, we can give them a chance at life – something they genuinely deserve. Thank you all so much for your kind gift!

While Ryan, Kelly and Ikumi hiked after lunch, Keegan, Jacob and Ruan went to see a breeding farm for white lions outside of town. The cats were absolutely gorgeous, although one lioness (the regular lion below with darker fur) seemed to be particularly ready to rip Keegan to pieces…she wouldn’t take her eyes off him and followed him along the fence wherever he went with the look of death in her eyes. It was a bit unsettling… fortunately, there was a nice mesh fence and electric wiring between us.

We found out later that night that three days before one of the lions had taken the finger off a grown man and just yesterday another cat had jumped into the electric fencing to get her paw through the mesh and had ripped up the farm owner’s young son pretty badly. Fortunately, we made it out safely and no fingers or faces were lost to the big cats!

We may have no lion-related injuries, but the same can’t be said for those related to the road! Ryan’s heals have blistered quite badly…the blister on his left heal is about the size of a golf ball and looks quite painful. Kelly’s developed a couple small blisters that seem to be hurting her, as well. For now, the plan is to keep hiking and hope they dry up and go away. Let’s hope!

Ruan gave an interview this afternoon on Radio Sonder Grense (Radio Without Borders), the biggest Afrikaans radio station in South Africa. It was a great interview, lasted almost 10 minutes and allowed us to get our message out to a very large population nationally. Many people leave RSG on all day at work and at home…so we couldn’t be happier to get the interview. Even better…they want to do a follow-up interview when we reach Cape Town!

We all split up tonight and had dinner and stayed with different hosts from the Viljoenskroon Rotary Club. To everyone in the club, thanks for the kind hospitality! We had a great time.

Day 3: Vereeniging - Parys

Total Distance Covered: 140 km
Distance Remaining: 1,870 km

We left Vereeniging a little later than planned this morning, but today is our last relatively short day (60km) until the end of the hike, so it isn’t much of a problem. The roads are much better than we expected (wide margins to safely walk in) and there’s very little traffic, so the overall hiking conditions are great. The sun is bright and it’s quite hot today…by the end of an 8km segment we are absolutely drenched in sweat and very much in need of a break.

For the most part, we’re all feeling pretty good physically and some of us are walking with other hikers during their shifts to cover a greater distance while we’re still feeling good and relatively fresh on the hike. One big help is the beautiful scenery…

The first blisters of the hike have appeared! A momentous, but certainly not desirable, occasion. No doubt there will be dozens more. More troubling, however, Jacob’s foot seems to be bothering him quite a bit and he wasn’t able to walk today because of the pain, which is a very serious concern for us so early in the hike. A first year law student with us at Wits, Jacob is a very serious rugby player and is on the roster of both the University of the Witwatersrand’s Rugby Team and the Golden Lion’s – the professional rugby team in Johannesburg. Unfortunately, Jacob fractured his foot in a rugby game not long ago and has been on the mend since. The timing of the hike didn’t allow him enough time to properly heal, but he courageously decided to go on with the charity hike as planned, risking a lot of pain and possible further injury. It says a lot about his character and we’re certainly proud and appreciative to have him with us. Let’s just hope he (and everyone else) remains healthy and uninjured over the next 18 days!

We were amazingly fortunate to have Shell (through the generosity of MC Lamprecht and Andre Strauss) sponsor the petrol for the hike. Without this donation and support, the hike simply would not have been possible as we could not, ourselves, afford the cost of the diesel and gas for our support vehicles.

So, yesterday, while in Vereeniging, we decided to fill up the tanks for the first time. We took the sponsorship letter provided to us by Shell to two of the company’s petrol stations and, despite an hour of explanation and eventually argument over the matter, we were still without petrol. The first manager completely disregarded us and sent us to another gas station for assistance where we were then outright denied assistance by the second manager. NOT A GOOD OMEN to be denied assistance (especially when that assistance is much needed petrol) by your sponsor on the first day of a charity hike that still has almost 2,000km to go. J

Fortunately, after a few calls to Shell we’d worked out a solution and Leslie at the Southern Regional Office kindly offered to help us contact each of the shell stations along our route to secure petrol down the road. We are eternally grateful to everyone at SHELL for their generosity and kindness…none of this would be possible without you.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

By mid-afternoon, we arrived in the town of Parys (pronounced Pa-Rice with a heavy afrikaaner accent). As everyone knows…when in Parys, you MUST see the Eiffel Tower and the Arc d’Triumph!

Hendrik, a local Rotarian, gave us a quick tour of the sites and we were able to get our picture taken at the city’s famous landmarks before heading to our evening’s accommodations. That evening, the Parys Club put on a great braai (the South African equivalent of “barbeque”, although here braaiing is far more a part of everyday life and common cuisine than it is in the states).

At one point, Ikumi impressed the South Africans by fashioning a pair of chopsticks out of two branches and started braaiing with them rather than use the bbq tongs and fork. Needless to say it was quite a cultural experience with 8 Afrikaaners, 3 Americans and a Kenyan watching a Japanese woman barbeque with chopsticks alongside Hendrik (a self-described “real boer”) here in the rural Afrikaaner territory of the Free State. It was a great time and the boerewoers (beef sausage) was delicious.

After the meal, the Parys club surprised us all by donating to the hike. We can not thank you enough for your generosity and kindness…we will not soon forget Parys.

We all spent the night there at the Rotary Lodge…a series of wonderful boma-style lodges renovated and maintained by the Parys Rotary Club to provide low-cost or free housing for local individuals and families in need of shelter. It’s a great program and set of facilities they’re managing…something more Rotary clubs should consider establishing in their local communities.

Despite a few sore muscles and blisters beginning to appear, we’re doing great and feel ready for the road ahead!

Day 2: Soweto Township (Johannesburg) - Vereeniging

Total Distance Covered: 80 km
Distance Remaining: 1,930 km

With the stress of last minute packing and the excitement and nervousness of the hike, we got very little sleep the night before its start. At 7am, we all met at the University of the Witwatersrand, finished packing the vans and headed to Jabavu Clinic in the Soweto Township of Johannesburg.

It was a wonderful surprise to have Mark Doyle, the new Director of ANCHOR (the African Network for Children Orphaned and At Risk) and Mama Hilda, the head of orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) programming at Hope Worldwide there to help send us off.
A group of local children and some of the vulnerable kids receiving assistance were there as well and it was a wonderful surprise to have them sing for us before we left. We said our goodbyes, took some pictures and hit the road.

We didn’t know what to expect in our departure as we planned the hike over the last few months. But, what we got was far greater than we ever imagined and was deeply meaningful. As the six of us began hiking down the road together, we were joined by local Soweto community members, Rotarians, Hope Worldwide staff and local children. A six year old girl grabbed Ikumi’s hand and walked with her for the first few blocks. It was an absolutely beautiful moment and epitomized everything we hope to accomplish with this hike. That precious child holding onto Ikumi’s hand is an image none of us will soon forget.

Amusingly, only 10 km into the hike, we somehow managed to get ourselves lost and it took almost 30 minutes to find our way back to the right road. A bit scary, but mostly amusing…we’re only 10km into the hike (with 2000 to go) and already losing our way!

It took nearly 8 hours, but we finally made it to Vereeniging that evening. A relatively short 60 km day and we’re all still on a high psychologically, but the physical strain is already beginning to be felt. No blisters yet, so we have a lot to be thankful for!

The Three Rivers Rotary Club hosted us this evening in Vereeniging, cooking up a feast (thoughtfully providing mostly pastas and breads to help us carbo-load). It was absolutely delicious and great fun meeting everyone.

Day 1: Charity Braai & Fun Hike in Joburg

In true South African style, we inaugurated the cross-country charity hike with a braai (barbeque) and fun hike at Bezuidenhout Park in Johannesburg today. It was great to see old friends, raise some money for our cause and take our last relaxed hike together as a team before we set off across South Africa tomorrow…

We've purchased our food (140 cans of tuna, 20 jars of peanut butter, 16 boxes of long life milk, etc.), mapped our route, said our goodbyes and started to pack our bags...just a few short hours and we'll be on the road!

What is the Rotary AIDS Hike?

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The Rotary AIDS Hike is a twenty-day charity walk across South Africa, covering 2010 kilometres (1250 miles).

Six students from Kenya, Japan, the United States and South Africa will trek from Johannesburg to Cape Town to highlight the needs of AIDS orphans and raise critical funds for the children left homeless and at risk by the global pandemic affecting more than 40 million people today.

The charity hike will commence following WORLD AIDS DAY on December 1st and will finish on December 21st. The Rotary AIDS Hike Team will depart from Jabavu Clinic in the Soweto township of Johannesburg and complete their journey at the Waterfront in Cape Town.

While Rotary supports thousands of AIDS projects throughout the world, a group of concerned Rotarians came together to create Rotarians for Fighting AIDS (RFFA) in 2003. RFFA supports more than 15,500 orphans and vulnerable children throughout South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire and is recognized by the United Nations as the world leader in addressing the unique needs of orphaned and vulnerable children with the UNAIDS “Best Practice” Model.

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PLEASE SPONSOR A CHILD or MAKE A DONATION.

Only $450 a year – $1.23 per day – provides for the immediate needs of an AIDS orphan, including school uniforms, supplies, fees, psychosocial counseling and daily nutritional support.
100% of funds donated go directly to providing assistance to orphaned and vulnerable children throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

View the ANCHOR & ORPHAN RESCUE posting to learn more about these programs for orphans and vulnerable children. View the HOW TO DONATE posting to learn how you can sponsor a child or make a donation to the Rotary AIDS Hike.

What is the Rotary AIDS Hike? (Japanese)

プロジェクトについて。

ロータリーエイズハイク2006は、アメリカ合衆国と日本出身のロータリー国際親善奨学生の慈善事業として開始しました。私たち五人は現在南アフリカ共和国にて、奨学生として勉強をしています。（内4人はヨハネスブルグ、1人はケープタウンです。）プロジェクトの内容を簡単に説明させていただくと、12月2日の世界エイズデーから、ヨハネスブルグからケープタウンまでの距離を徒歩で移動するものです。ヨハネスブルグより、ブルームホンテイン、イーストロンドン、ポートエリザベス、ガーデンルートを通り、ケープタウンまでの距離2010キロを、メンバー５人がリレーをする形になります。１キロごとに、1ランド(17円程度)を、地元のそして海外からのスポンサーに寄付をしてもらうことになっております。また、この2010キロの道中で、エイズ孤児院、社会施設、小中学校を訪問し、エイズに関する知識や正しい選択を、特に若年層に語りかける活動も予定しております。集めた資金は、ロータリアンが設立したHIV/AIDSの為の機関である、Rotarian For Fighting AIDS（RFFA）へ全額寄贈する事になっております。RFFAはアフリカ地域において、もっとも深刻な問題であるエイズと戦うための資金を集めるため、私たちは今現在多くのスポンサーを探しております。また、RFFAのLifetime Memberとなっていただけるロータリアンやその仲間、またそれ以外の方々から、このプロジェクトを物資や広報の面でサポートしていただけるスポンサーを募集しております。



なぜこのプロジェクトをやるのか？

このプロジェクトの基軸となる目的は、

• アフリカ地域におけるエイズに立ち向かうため
• RFFAを資金そして広報の面でサポートするため
• エイズに関する南アフリカ一般市民の意識をあげるため
• ロータリアンと南アフリカをエイズ挑戦する戦いへ結集するため

2010キロという道のりを見ていただければわかるように、このプロジェクトは簡単なものではありません。しかしながら、今ぜんざいのエイズの状況を鑑みると、無謀ではあっても、「小さな努力」が必要であると考えます。

こちらのメールアドレスへサポートのメールをお送りください、ブログやプロジェクトの最新情報をお届けします。
mailto:rotaryaidshike2006@gmail.com

AIDS & The Orphan Crisis

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Globally more than 40 Million are Infected with HIV and AIDS

Globally, it is estimated that more than forty million people live infected with HIV and AIDS. In 2005 alone, an estimated 3.1 million people died as a result of AIDS and another 4.9 million were newly infected with HIV. HIV and AIDS are uniquely devastating in that they overwhelmingly afflict the most productive segment of society – the population aged 15 to 45 years old.

Southern Africa is the Epicenter of the AIDS Pandemic

In no region of the world has the impact of AIDS been more devastating than in sub-Saharan Africa – with an estimated 24.5 million people infected with HIV. Between 20% and 32% of pregnant women are HIV+ in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, with the spread of infection steadily increasing throughout the region. Home to the largest HIV/AIDS-affected population and the highest infection rates in the world, southern Africa is the global epicenter of the AIDS pandemic.

There will be more than 20 million AIDS orphans by 2010

AIDS afflicts the foundation of society – the teachers, civil servants, engineers, government officials, health workers, businessmen and women, and laborers who drive the economy and uphold the community and the household. Even more, those most affected by HIV and AIDS are often parents. As a result, more than 15 million children worldwide had been orphaned by 2003 as a result of HIV/AIDS. By 2010, there will be more than 20 million AIDS orphans.

Less than 5% of Orphans Receive Assistance

Sadly, of the millions of African children orphaned and at risk today, less than 5% receive assistance of any kind. With the inadequate level of assistance available and the number of AIDS orphans expected to rise to more than 20 million by 2010, more than 19.7 million children will be effectively abandoned, lacking even the most basic life-saving assistance. Without an education, without adequate nutrition, without basic shelter and housing, without guidance, without support and without hope, these children will continue to suffer needlessly and struggle from day to day to merely survive. The lives of tens of millions of children are at stake. The time to act is now!

The Lives of Tens of Millions of Children are at Stake

Faces of the Crisis

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The Hike Route

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Johannesburg - Cape Town

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Following the celebration of WORLD AIDS DAY on December 1st, the Rotary AIDS Hike will kick-off from Jabavu clinic in the Soweto township of Johannesburg. The twenty-day charity hike will cover 2010 kilometres (1250 miles) across South Africa and will finish in Cape Town.

From Johannesburg, the Rotary AIDS Hike Team will walk in relay across the country - through the Karoo desert to the southern coast and then west through the historic Garden Route. The charity hike will finish on December 21st with a celebration at the Waterfront in Cape Town.

We chose the hike route and distance for its symbolic value. The hike will take us 2010 km in 20 days to highlight the tragic fact that there will be more than 20 million AIDS orphans by 2010.

The Hikers

Ryan McDonnell

“Why am I spending 20 days of my life walking across South Africa? I want to challenge the notion that ordinary individuals can’t make a tangible difference in the lives of others. Too often we make excuses that we don't have the ability, the time, the energy or that the problem is simply too big. The need is overwhelming…20 million AIDS orphans by 2010! We can not afford to sit back and say to ourselves ‘Oh, isn’t that terrible!’ True humanity is measured by what we do for others. That is why I am doing the Rotary AIDS Hike.”

Ryan McDonnell is from just north of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Ryan has worked in the field of international development for three years, most recently in Liberia, West Africa. Focusing on Community Participation and AIDS, he is currently completing his masters in Development Studies at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa through a grant by the Rotary Foundation.


Jacob Maboja

“Why am I walking from Johannesburg to Cape Town? The hike is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness and funding that will make a phenomenal difference in the lives of children affected by AIDS. It’s a creative way for us to draw attention to the phenomenal impact that Rotary is having on the lives of these children, while underscoring the massive need that still exists not only in South Africa, but throughout the rest of Africa.”

Jacob Maboja, now living in South Africa, is originally from Kenya. He is a first-year law student at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jacob grew up with Rotary as the son of an active Rotarian.


Kelly Lewis

“Why am I doing the Rotary AIDS Hike? Today, less than 5% of orphans and vulnerable children in Africa receive assistance of any kind. Within the next five years, more than 20 million children will be orphaned as a result of AIDS. We can not stand by as these children needlessly suffer without adequate nutrition, shelter, education or support.”

Kelly Lewis is a teacher from a small town in upstate New York, USA. Focusing her research on Parent and Educator Perceptions of Literacy Development, she is currently completing her Masters in Applied English Language Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa through a grant by the Rotary Foundation.


Keegan Kautzky

“Why am I walking 2010 kilometres across South Africa to raise awareness and funding? I believe the AIDS epidemic and the unnecessary suffering of more than 40 million people globally constitutes one of the greatest failures in human history. With the knowledge, means and resources available to prevent its spread, lesson its impact and end its devastation…it is a failure of our government, of the private sector, and of civil society. Even more, it is a failure of each of us – as individual members of one common humanity – to commit ourselves, our time, our money, our knowledge and our energy to assisting those in need. If nothing else, I hope that our efforts will provide inspiration for others to take action and end the apathy and disregard that has unnecessarily allowed the suffering and death of tens of millions.”

Keegan Kautzky is from a farm in rural Iowa, USA. He has worked in the field of international development for four years, most recently in Malawi and India. Focusing his research on Child Protection and Household Adaptation in Response to AIDS, he is currently completing his masters in Development Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa through a grant by the Rotary Foundation.


Ikumi Maekawa

“Why am I going on the Rotary AIDS Hike? I decided to be part of this project in order to draw awareness among people in South Africa about HIV/AIDS. Due to the increasing number of people living with AIDS, the misconceptions about the disease have driven society in the wrong direction. Through this hike, I am hoping to make a tangible difference in the lives of affected and infected South Africans, especially youth, and bring attention to the fight against AIDS in South Africa.”

Ikumi Maekawa is originally from Ena, Japan. Focusing on Gender and Politics, she is currently completing her Masters in Political Studies at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa through a grant by the Rotary Foundation.


Ruan Koorts

“Why am I involved with the Rotary AIDS Hike? Beyond its devastating impact on the economy, on education and on healthcare in South Africa and around the world, the AIDS epidemic is destroying the foundation of our society…our families and our communities. In the fight against AIDS, Rotarians have taken the lead in providing shelter, food, education, clothing and assistance to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children; in raising awareness and preventing the transmission of the virus through community education; and in improving psychosocial support networks and community assistance to those in need. I want to be a part of their efforts to show how we, as members of the community, as leaders of business, and as individuals can find solutions to the devastating problem of AIDS.”

Ruan Koorts is originally from Pretoria, South Africa. He is a final year Optometry student at the University of Johannesburg and has volunteered to be the full-time driver of the Rotary AIDS Hike Team. Ruan has admired the service work of Rotary clubs for many years and plans on becoming a Rotarian after beginning his professional career as an Optometrist.

How to Donate

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The Rotary AIDS Hike team is seeking private donations and corporate sponsorships for this great cause. Only $450 (R3,200) a year provides an orphan with school uniforms, supplies, fees, daily nutritional support and basic assistance.

100% of all donated funds go directly to assist AIDS orphans and vulnerable children throughout southern Africa through RFFA’s ANCHOR and Orphan Rescue programs.

Our goal is to provide daily support to 50 orphans by raising US$22,500 (R150000).

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In the United States, you can donate by mail or by bank transfer (donations by mail are recommended).

For donations by mail, please make the check payable to RFFA Inc. and mail it to the following address:
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Rotary AIDS Hike
RFFA Inc.

PO Box 888575

Atlanta, Georgia

30356-8575

For a bank transfer donation, electronically transfer your donation to the RFFA bank account:

ABSA Bank
Branch: Hyde Park (South Africa)
Branch Code: 633205
Swift Code (international): absazajj
Account Number: 406 450 1335

Reference: Rotary AIDS Hike (and your name)
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In South Africa, please donate by bank transfer.

For a bank transfer donation, electronically transfer your donation to the RFFA bank account:

ABSA Bank
Branch: Hyde Park (South Africa)
Branch Code: 633205
Account Number: 406 450 1335
Reference: Rotary AIDS Hike (and your name)
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In Japan and all other countries, please donate by bank transfer.

For a bank transfer donation, electronically transfer your donation to the RFFA bank account:

ABSA Bank
Branch: Hyde Park (South Africa)
Branch Code: 633205
Swift Code (international): absazajj

Account Number: 406 450 1335

Reference: Rotary AIDS Hike (and your name or company) _______________________________________________

Please inform us of your donation by emailing rotaryaidshike@gmail.com, so that we may verify the receipt of your gift.
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ANCHOR & Orphan Rescue

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ANCHOR - African Network for Children Orphaned and at Risk

ANCHOR is a dynamic and remarkably effective partnership of Rotarians for Fighting AIDS (RFFA), Hope Worldwide, Coca Cola Africa, Emory University’s Schools of Public Health and Nursing, and the International AIDS Trust.

Over the next five years, ANCHOR will scale up its efforts to provide comprehensive and integrated community-based care and support for an estimated 165,500 orphans and vulnerable children in seven countries: South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Kenya. By providing targeted training and support to more than 40,000 community-based caregivers, the program will increase the capacity of affected families and communities to care for and support these orphans and vulnerable children, vastly improving their living conditions, health and future potential.
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Orphan Rescue

Rotarians for Fighting AIDS (RFFA) launched the Orphan Rescue initiative as an offshoot of the ANCHOR program, to provide African orphans daily nutritional support and to make it possible for orphans and vulnerable children of HIV-affected families to stay in school. Only $450 a year - $1.23 per day - provides a child with daily nutritional support, psychosocial counseling and support, and continued education by covering the costs of uniforms, supplies and school fees.

Without the critical support of the Orphan Rescue program, tens of thousands of African children would otherwise grow up without even the most fundamental necessities: basic nutrition and an education.

Please consider sponsoring a child or making a donation to these exceptional programs. View the HOW TO DONATE posting for more information.

Rotary International

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What is Rotary?

Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community's business and professional men and women. The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.

The main objective of Rotary is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.

Although Rotary clubs develop autonomous service programs, all Rotarians worldwide are united in a campaign for the global eradication of polio. In the 1980s, Rotarians raised US$240 million to immunize the children of the world; by 2005, Rotary's centenary year and the target date for the certification of a polio-free world, the PolioPlus program will have contributed US$500 million to this cause. In addition, Rotary has provided an army of volunteers to promote and assist at national immunization days in polio-endemic countries around the world.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes world understanding through international humanitarian service programs and educational and cultural exchanges. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and others who share its vision of a better world. Since 1947, the Foundation has awarded more than US$1.1 billion in humanitarian and educational grants, which are initiated and administered by local Rotary clubs and districts.


What are Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars?

Four of the six members of the Rotary AIDS Hike Team are current Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars studying in South Africa.

The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known program is the Ambassadorial Scholarship program. Since 1947 nearly 37,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarship program. Nearly 800 scholarships were awarded for study in 2005-06 alone, through grants totaling US$500 million.

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarship program is to further international understanding and goodwill among people of different countries. The program sponsors several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.