Walking for Mental Health: Penelope Takes Therapy onto the Camino

Walking for Mental Health: Penelope Takes Therapy onto the Camino

On 17 September, Hout Bay therapist, coach and wilderness guide, Penelope van Maasdyk, will set out across northern Spain to walk up to 1,000km on the Camino de Santiago—linking the Del Norte, the Primitivo and sections of the Via de la Plata—by 30 October. Her mission, Walking for Mental Health, is to offer free on-trail coaching, walk-and-talk support, and craniosacral therapy to fellow pilgrims processing grief, change or trauma, while raising R55,000 to keep the journey safe and simple. Since launching her crowdfund on 5 August 2025, supporters have given R18,900 offline and R3,883 online—with six donors already stepping in. A QR code on her backpack will let anyone book time to walk beside her, talk, breathe, and begin again.

Why Walk, Why Now

Penelope is deeply attuned to people. Clients describe a listener who notices what’s said, what’s unsaid, and what the body is whispering. She speaks frankly about surviving childhood sexual abuse, depression and years of silence that bred shame. Naming her story, she says, loosened its grip—and shaped her vow to create safe, stigma-free spaces where it’s okay not to be okay.

“Life happens in spirals,” she says. “We meet old pain as new selves.”

The Camino called to that vow. One cold evening, watching The Salt Path, the clarity landed:

“I had my answer to all the things that weren’t aligned … I had to walk. Why? Because that’s what I have always done through all the tough times in my life.” 



With limited time, she chose a demanding route: Irún to Bilbao along the hilly coast; Santander to Oviedo to join the ancient, forested Primitivo; then a bus to Sevilla or Mérida to meet the Via de la Plata and walk north as far as Ourense—or the calendar allows. Her aim is simple: be a steady presence, a regulated nervous system others can borrow, a companion who will walk as long as it takes.

Therapy on the Move – A Day on the Camino

Days begin in the soft shuffle of headlamps and zips at 5:30am. Penelope  with intention, steps into the dark, and walks toward sunrise. Eucalyptus breath drifts from wet groves; salt rides in from the Bay of Biscay; a bakery’s first loaves send warm air into the lane. Way-markers flash yellow; shells clack on backpacks; bells call from unseen chapels. Around 7am she pauses at a lookout to mix her plant-based superfoods—vital for a vegan in rural Spain—before walking on through quiet hours that invite conversation or silence.

Some days are solitary; some are full of encounters. On her last Camino she met “Susie,” raw after a breakup and tangled in shame. They walked, rested, talked. Movement softened the edges; coaching gave language and tools. They still check in years later.

“Connection rewires shame,” Penelope says. “And walking makes truth easier to speak.”

Afternoons end at an albergue—a simple pilgrim hostel—where stories braid over sinks and supper. She never imposes therapy; she offers it. A scan of the QR code sets up a few hours of walk-and-talk the next day, or a quiet craniosacral session for nervous-system regulation. Her pack stays as light as she can manage (about 20% of her body weight), feet are slathered each morning with shea butter and massaged at night with arnica oil, and boundaries hold firm so she can hold others. Short videos on Instagram and YouTube will share the road so supporters can see the work unfold in real time.

Read Penelope’s blog on Camino symbols and what they’ve mean to her here

 

The Night She Almost Quit

There was a day she pushed close to 50km, much of it uphill through dripping forest. Supplies ran low; her period began; the last 15km offered no water, no café, only mud and roots. By dusk she limped into a hilltop village, only to hear the words every pilgrim dreads: “We’re full.” She slid to the floor and wept—spent, shaking, empty. A caretaker crouched, helped her off with her shoes, found a shower and a cushion, then an extra mattress at the town hall for the night.

Ten hours of dreamless sleep later, Penelope stepped into a pearly rain, following a mossed aqueduct with strangers who had become a community of the trail. Giving up wasn’t an option; there was only forward. That night is why she trusts this path to hold people when their own strength is gone.


Who she is matters as much as what she’s studied (integral coaching, craniosacral therapy, meditation/yoga, wilderness guiding) or where she’s worked (investment banking and consulting, NGO social development, writing).

Penelope(left) guiding a small group on a hike

Those chapters expanded her view: trauma is trauma, whether you wear a suit or sleep rough. Her promise on this pilgrimage is to listen without fixing, to sit with the hard, to be the calm in someone else’s storm.

 

Penelope’s therapy room in my Hout Bay Garden surrounded my Milkwood trees, birds and squirrels

What your support makes possible: a transparent, modest budget—ZAR12,000 flights (already covered offline via therapy-voucher sales); ZAR8,000 gear (ZAR6,500 sponsored); ZAR5,000 internal travel; ZAR20,000 accommodation; ZAR10,000 food & sundries (including a ZAR400 boost from Soaring Free Superfoods). Shout-outs to the friends who funded her Patagonia waterproof jacket and T-Rockets hiking sandals, and to psychologist Rick Hanson, who gifted a course on grief and loss. Every rand buys a bed after 30–40km, a simple meal, a bus between trailheads, and the data so a struggling pilgrim can find her.

Penelope’s future dreams are big, and she plans to seed monthly Cape Town wellness walks, donation-based community hikes and corporate nature immersions that will subsidise at-risk youth programs—movement medicine for a city that needs it.

If you or someone you love needs support today, please reach out to SADAG Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0800 567 567 (WhatsApp 076 882 2775 / 087 163 2030). You are not alone.

Call to action

To support Penelope van Maasdyk visit their BackaBuddy campaign link here

More information can be found on Penelope’s website where you can find many helpful mental health resources and enquire about booking a session with Penelope. 

Please share her story with friends, family, and colleagues—the more people who know, the more companions she’ll meet on the path.


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Kim Conley’s Hout Bay Project Turns Afternoons Into Futures for 130 Children

Kim Conley’s Hout Bay Project Turns Afternoons Into Futures for 130 Children

Kim Conley [50] from Hout Bay, Cape Town, leads Amoyo Performing Arts Foundation’s after-school studio for children from Imizamo Yethu. On 11 July 2025, Amoyo launched a BackaBuddy campaign to raise R670,000 to keep 130 children in daily dance, drama and singing classes paired with life-skills coaching. Sparked by Mandela Day 2025, the idea is to turn one day of goodwill into steady monthly support that carries children through the rest of the year. In the first 10 days the drive drew 8 donors and R6000 online donations, alongside R83,300 in offline gifts—R89,400 toward the goal.

Why Kim started Amoyo—and why it matters now

In 2015, Kim and co-founders Mandisa Qwesha and Nandipha Sandlana opened Amoyo to offer a reliable, caring place after school for young people in Hout Bay. The heartbeat of the programme is routine and care: three to five afternoons a week, learners train in African, Contemporary and Fusion dance techniques, strengthen their voices in singing and Musical Theatre, release creative expression and develop confidence in Speech & Drama, and practise arriving on time, prepared and respectful. Each session links to a life-skills theme such as gratitude, decision-making, resilience or goal-setting.

As the team often says, “Amoyo means ‘spirit of appreciation’,” a value woven into every class.

Amoyo is formally registered—PBO 930054407 and NPO 169-708—which helps supporters and corporate partners back a well-governed programme rooted in Hout Bay.

What the campaign unlocks

The target is R670,000 for the rest of the year—about R55,833 per month, which works out to roughly R430 per child per month. That amount turns into very concrete things: qualified teachers’ hours, 120+ classes per child each year, a nutritious meal to fuel learning, safe transport to and from the studio, holiday workshops that keep children engaged when school is closed, and proper attire so every child feels part of the team. Public milestones, including Artscape’s Schools Arts Festival and Amoyo’s annual showcase, give learners a professional stage and a reason to keep striving. Monthly giving protects routine, and routine builds confidence.

From first alumni to new paths

Renecia Dama – Qualified Dance Teacher & Amoyo Foundation Alumnus

Renecia Dama, a qualified dance teacher, began her performing arts journey at Amoyo in 2017. From day one she embraced every opportunity, developing technique as well as discipline, confidence, and resilience—qualities that helped her pass matric. Amoyo’s holistic training and mentorship gave her the foundation to pursue dance professionally. Since graduating, Renecia has consistently #givenback and is now proudly employed by Amoyo as a teacher. She uses her story and skills to inspire the next generation, sharing both technical knowledge and the values shaped during her formative years. From a young girl with a dream to a professional changing lives in her community, Renecia embodies Amoyo’s ethos of gratitude, passion, and giving back—the ripple effect of opportunity and mentorship in action.

Thobeka Shumi – Amoyo Foundation Alumnus & Aspiring Pilot

Thobeka Shumi’s journey shows how arts education builds skills far beyond the stage. With Amoyo since day one, she moved from loving dance but fearing Speech & Drama and Singing to becoming one of our first Triple Threat students—a true “YES I CAN” person. After losing her home in a fire and briefly relocating, her family returned, believing Thobeka’s Amoyo childhood too valuable to leave. She thrived, resisted negative peer pressure, brought friends into Amoyo, and grew as a leader, supported by parents with strong work ethics and values. The first in her family to attend tertiary education, she’s now in her second year of International Business at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, crediting Amoyo for confidence, curiosity, time management, and grit—traits that set her apart. Her path from the arts to business shows how skills gained at Amoyo translate into any ambitious dream.

Thobeka represents the spirit of possibility that Amoyo strives to cultivate in every student. She embodies courage, ambition, and the drive to reach new heights of success. Her story inspires others to dream boldly and proves that with the right foundation you open yourself up to untold possibilities.

These journeys began with an open studio door at 3 p.m. and a promise that showing up matters. The current campaign keeps that promise for 130 children—not only by paying for teachers and transport but by making sure every child feels seen, prepared and part of a family.

Budgets have to cover people and time—the two ingredients that make safety and growth possible. Without steady support, the programme can’t plan classes, retain coaches or guarantee transport. Every contribution helps close the gap between where we are today and the R670,000 goal. Monthly recurring donations are the most helpful because they anchor the plan:

R430 per month supports one child
R860 per month supports two children
R2,150 per month supports five children

From the first warm-up to the end-of-year showcase, children carry lessons beyond the studio: they speak up, arrive on time, and start to believe they belong in rooms they once thought were closed to them. That is what this campaign protects—130 daily chances to practise being ready for the next step.

Call to action

To support Amoyo Performing Arts Foundation visit their BackaBuddy campaign link here:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/support-amoyo-67-minutes-for-change

Please share this story with friends, family, and colleagues—your voice helps unlock more support and keeps the momentum growing.

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Limpopo Doctor Leads Effort to Help Man Living with 10-Year Keloid Find Hope for Healing

Limpopo Doctor Leads Effort to Help Man Living with 10-Year Keloid Find Hope for Healing

Dr Ephraim Kgoete (33) from Limpopo is raising funds for 43-year-old Petros Malepe, who has lived with a severe keloid on his chin for more than a decade. Thanks to the Khayalami Health Foundation and the kindness of strangers, a life-changing surgery is finally within reach.

A Journey of Pain and Perseverance

For more than 10 years, Petros Malepe from Ga-Manoke, Burgersfort in Limpopo, has carried the physical and emotional weight of a large keloid stretching from his chin. The condition has not only caused discomfort but has also stolen much of his confidence and limited his ability to pursue work or meaningful relationships.

“Petros has been unable to pursue stable work opportunities because of the visible nature of his condition and the stigma surrounding it. This has deeply affected his self-confidence and his ability to form and maintain personal relationships.” shares Dr Kgoete.

Despite years of moving in and out of hospitals without lasting help, Petros’ resilience and faith kept him going. “At times he felt like giving up,” Dr Kgoete explains, “but the kindness of strangers has given him hope where he once had none.”

Now, through the efforts of the Khayalami Health Foundation, Petros’ story has reached thousands of South Africans who are rallying to give him the gift of healing.

“Petros will require surgery to remove the massive keloid, followed by radiotherapy and continued medical treatment to prevent it from growing back. At this stage, it is crucial because the condition is worsening, and without intervention, his quality of life will continue to decline,” says Dr Kgoete.



Meeting Through Social Media

Dr Ephraim Kgoete, a general medical practitioner affectionately known as Dr Macutcut or Dr Ya Batho, first came across Petros’ case on TikTok.

“I first became aware of Mr. Malepe’s case through TikTok, where he had shared his struggles with his condition,” he recalls. “After learning about his story, I reached out to him directly, and from there, Khayalami Health Foundation began assisting him with support and guidance.”

Moved by Petros’ courage and the years he endured without meaningful intervention, Dr Kgoete launched a BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign on 15 July 2025 to cover the cost of surgery, hospitalisation, radiotherapy, and ongoing emotional support.

“I was deeply moved by his story. Supporting him was not just about treating a medical condition — it was about restoring dignity and hope,” he says.

Community Kindness Turns into Action

Since its launch, the campaign has drawn incredible generosity. More than 26 donors have already contributed over R26,000 towards the R70,000 target. The funds will cover surgery to remove the keloid, radiotherapy to reduce the chance of regrowth, medication, and psychological care to help Petros rebuild his life.

“The urgency is very high,” stresses Dr Kgoete. “The keloid is not only disfiguring but also carries risks of infection, bleeding, and increasing disability. If left untreated, his suffering will worsen, and his chances of recovery will diminish significantly.”

For Petros, every donation is a reminder that he is not alone. “Every contribution, no matter how small, is a step toward changing my life, and I am truly thankful,” he says.

Through the Khayalami Health Foundation, Dr Kgoete has dedicated his career to helping those who often fall through the cracks of the public healthcare system.

“Community support bridges the gap where public healthcare falls short,” he explains. “It reminds patients like Petros that they matter, and that their future is worth fighting for.”

 

For Petros, the campaign is more than just a fundraiser — it is the first real chance at reclaiming his life after years of stigma, neglect, and isolation. 

To support Petros, visit his BackaBuddy campaign link here:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/surgery-drive-fundraiser-for-mr-petros-malepe

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Cape Town’s Biggest Cycle Challenge, VUSA24 Is Back: 24-Hour Ride for Children’s Futures

Cape Town’s Biggest Cycle Challenge, VUSA24 Is Back: 24-Hour Ride for Children’s Futures

Cape Town’s biggest 24-hour community cycle is back on 6–7 September 2025. Friends, families, corporates and schools will rotate through 24 hours on 60 bikes at Bishops’ Piley Rees field to raise R1,000,000 for youth development in Langa. Riders will take turns through the night to ride for purpose, ride for impact, and ride for change—because when a community moves, children’s futures move with it.

Cape Town’s 24-Hour BIGGEST Cycle Challenge Is Back

From its base at 22 Bitterhout Street, Langa, the VUSA Rugby & Learning Academy works with children aged 4 to 13, blending early learning, academic support, rugby and psychosocial care. One hundred percent of what the Challenge raises goes straight into these programmes. This year’s goals are practical and powerful: expand literacy so more children read for meaning by Grade 4; complete a new VUSA hub in Langa—with an income-generating deli, a reading garden, a fully equipped kitchen and safe learning spaces; and strengthen academic support by hiring more facilitators and purchasing better educational resources.


Born in 2021 through a collaboration led by Bishops Diocesan College with strong community backers (including Investec), the 24-hour format has grown every year thanks to thousands of champions who climb onto the bikes and keep the wheels turning. BackaBuddy returns as the official fundraising partner, hosting dozens of campaign pages so supporters can back a rider they know or donate directly to the Academy. The format is pure community: teams ride in shifts through the night, cheered on by music, live entertainment and food trucks. And the invitation is open—anyone can sign up a team, bring the gees and join a shift. If life won’t let you cycle, you can still be part of the story by donating. Every rand helps break the cycle of poverty and builds a future of opportunity.

The momentum tells its own story.

  • 2021: R217,392 raised.
  • 2022: R535,168 raised.
  • 2023: 43 BackaBuddy campaigns rallied 1,141 donors to raise R909,883.10.
  • 2024: 77 BackaBuddy campaigns rallied 1,337 donors to raise R1,080,403.94.
    Total (2021–2024): R2,742,847.04 invested in children’s futures.

That funding translates into real-world wins. As the Academy put it: “Last year, your support helped us repair our Digibus (a mobile classroom), build a new library and computer lab, and set up a practice space for our social worker.”

That’s a classroom on wheels, books in little hands and a quiet room where care happens.

This year, the relay continues with 52 team campaigns already live. Early support is showing: 257 donors have contributed R 218 605 toward the R1,000,000 target. Those gifts turn into literacy coaches, shelves of well-loved books, nutritious meals from the new kitchen and steady mentors beside homework tables. They also help finish the Langa hub so that safe, bright spaces are ready for learning when the bell rings.

Ride for Purpose: How to Join

The VUSA 24-Hour Cycle Challenge starts at 09:00 on Saturday, 6 September and wraps at 09:00 on Sunday, 7 September at Piley Rees, Bishops. The track will be a festival of nicknames and noise—proof that doing good can be joyful. Expect waves of teams from corporates, high schools and colleges, and prep/junior schools, alongside community clubs, alumni groups, families and friends. Some will be chasing lap counts, others bringing pure gees—but every crew will ride for purpose, ride for impact, and ride for change. New team pages are going live on BackaBuddy each week, so the roster will keep growing—yours can, too.

This isn’t just a ride, guys—it’s a flip’n revolution.

It’s what you’ll hear trackside when the music lifts and another shift tags in. Because this event is more than laps; it’s a relay of care. Anyone can take part—sign up a bike with friends, bring colleagues for a corporate shift, or gather your school team and ride in memory, in celebration, in solidarity. And if you can’t be there, send your support in the form of a donation—every bit helps, and every rider feels it.

When we say the city’s biggest cycle challenge is back, we mean bigger, bolder and filled with even more heart—thanks to partners who keep the wheels turning: Bishops Diocesan College, Investec, and the official fundraising partner, BackaBuddy, alongside the many community sponsors who add prizes, music and colour. Together we ride for purpose, impact and change—so that children in Langa can read with confidence, learn with dignity and dream without limits.


Call to action

To support VUSA Rugby & Learning Academy visit their BackaBuddy campaign link here:
VUSA Rugby & Learning Academy | BackaBuddy

Please also share this story—your voice can help the riders go further and bring even more children into safe, inspiring learning spaces.

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Johannesburg Cabin Crew Member Just 13 Hours Away From His Pilot Wings

Johannesburg Cabin Crew Member Just 13 Hours Away From His Pilot Wings

Matthew James Barrett (25) from Sunninghill, Johannesburg is just 13 flying hours away from completing his Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) — the crucial milestone toward becoming a commercial pilot. A full-time cabin crew member and dedicated student pilot, Matthew has already logged 31 hours, made significant sacrifices, and kept his dream alive through years of disciplined effort. But while determination has carried him this far, the cost of training now threatens to keep his wings on the ground.

A dream rooted in his grandfather’s legacy and his mother’s sacrifices

Matthew’s love for aviation began with his grandfather, who served in the Air Force and later trained at Grand Central Airport — the same Midrand airfield where Matthew now flies. 

“My passion for aviation was sparked by my grandpa,” he says. “He was in the Air Force and later did his PPL at Grand Central. As a kid, I remember going to the library with him, looking at books about planes, and listening to his stories. The moment I truly knew I wanted to fly was when I would spend time with him. Now, being based at the same airfield he flew from is incredibly special to me. I can’t wait to take him up for a flight once I’m done.”

From the outset, Matthew knew this journey would demand more than talent. He has worked full-time while studying, squeezing in flight hours between shifts and cutting expenses to the bone. He sold his car to reduce costs, lives on the bare minimum, and even uses gym reward points to help cover electricity at home. At 25, while many peers spend weekends unwinding, he trades leisure for the cockpit — one lesson at a time.

Behind him stands his mother, Joanne, who raised Matthew and his sister Tiffany as a single parent. 

“From the moment Matthew was a little boy, he was a force of nature,” she says. “He was always kind, determined, and never gave up on what he wanted. I’ve seen him excel in sports, in CrossFit, and now in flying — he was born to fly. This dream is a family one. We’ve all made sacrifices to get him here, and I know he wants this not just for himself, but to give back to his family one day.”


A dream grounded by cost — and lifted again by community generosity

Flying is not only demanding; it’s expensive. Every hour in the training aircraft costs R3,500 plus a landing fee, and Matthew must still cover his remaining hours, exams, and final skills test. Beyond that, the cost of a Commercial Pilot’s Licence looms at close to R850,000 — a daunting number for a young man already stretched to his limits.

For many young people, the biggest barrier isn’t passion or ability; it’s funding. 

“I applied for bursaries, reached out to companies, and tried every option,” Matthew says. “When nothing worked, I realised I couldn’t continue this journey alone. The support I’ve received so far has been truly inspiring and given me the hope and strength to carry on.”

Twelve days after launching his crowdfunding campaign, 31 donors have contributed more than R49,000 toward his R500,000 target

Every contribution “literally translates into minutes in the air,” he says — covering outstanding flight hours, exam and licence fees, ground briefings, aircraft hire for the skills test, and transport to and from training.

For Matthew, crossing this finish line is about more than a licence. It honours his family’s sacrifices, carries his grandfather’s story forward, and opens the door to mentoring new pilots who don’t know where to begin.


And he has a message for every child who looks up at a passing plane and dreams of one day flying it: “There is no feeling more surreal than defying gravity and seeing the world from a different perspective. Feed that passion and never stop working and learning. You will have to make sacrifices, but in the end, it will all be worth it.”

With 13 hours to go, Matthew’s future in aviation now sits with the public to lift him higher — whether that’s a few minutes in the air or a full hour that gets him closer to the flight deck.

To support Matthew, visit his BackaBuddy campaign: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/help-a-pilot-get-his-wings

Follow his journey here: Instagram

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Women’s Month run unites Cape Town moms for beloved teacher fighting breast cancer

Women’s Month run unites Cape Town moms for beloved teacher fighting breast cancer

Zanele Princess Mrasi (45) from Cape Town (Western Cape) is the warm-hearted nursery teacher inspiring a city to lace up during Women’s Month. Diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer on 11 June 2025 at Mitchells Plain Hospital, she is meeting the moment with grace and grit while her school community launches “Miles for Ms Mrasi” — a 21 km Gun Run and a 5 km walk — to raise funds for transport, nutritious meals, and care for her teenage son during treatment at Groote Schuur Hospital. The campaign, started on 28 July 2025 by one of the moms, has already raised R78,000 from 69 donors toward a R100,000 goal — a Women’s Month reminder that when women move together, they move mountains.

A Teacher Who Builds a Second Home

Ask any little girl in her class and she’ll tell you: “Miss Mrasi’s classroom feels like home.” That’s by design.

“For me, teaching is about creating a safe space where students feel valued, capable, and supported,” Zanele says. “I’ve always believed in the transformative power of education — I wanted to be that source of encouragement for someone else.”

Her path to that classroom wasn’t easy. Born in Mnyamanzane village near Butterworth, she moved to Cape Town at nine, studied Early Childhood Development, and worked her way from assistant to teacher while raising her son, Sethu, now 19. When Sethu needed specialised support for learning differences, she paused her own degree to stand beside him. Years later, she completed her studies and, in 2022, became a nursery teacher at one of Cape Town’s most prestigious schools.

“It’s true that when you really want something, it’s never too late,” she says. “It takes a village — and I’m grateful for mine.”

Strength is a through-line in Zanele’s life. A devoted Christian and church leader, she mentors young women through the Young Women’s Manyano and helps run Sunday School. She is also a single mother, proudly supporting Sethu as he writes his matric exams and steps into manhood.

In her classroom, Zanele greets children in isiXhosa, sprinkles in songs in English and Afrikaans, and is often found on the carpet with one child curled into her lap and others gathered around. Parents use one word over and over:

“happy.” As one mom shared, “She speaks with calm kindness, makes even the smallest task feel meaningful, and is never too busy for a cuddle.”

When the Community Laces Up for Women’s Month

The diagnosis arrived on a busy school day.

“I was devastated,” Zanele recalls. “I kept asking, ‘Why me?’ But I knew I had to be strong for my son and my girls at school.”

“My sisters and family have been my rock,” she says. “My colleagues and the parents at school remind me I’m not alone.”

Her colleagues and the moms of her class didn’t hesitate to answer that strength with their own.

“Somewhere between the chatting and the running, it just clicked — we should run in her name to rally support,” says one of the moms behind the campaign. “Within minutes, moms were entering the Gun Run, pencilling in training days, and planning coffee dates. One message turned into a movement.”

What began with two runners swelled into a small army of moms jogging the 21 km and others walking 5 km, with the children dreaming up a solidarity walk of their own. With Zanele’s blessing, the crowdfunding page went live — and donations poured in, many carrying messages as generous as the amounts.

“The response has been overwhelming,” she adds. “In the first 72 hours, we nearly hit our initial target. It reminded us that a school is a second family.”

This surge of solidarity lands in August, South Africa’s Women’s Month — held in honour of the 1956 march to the Union Buildings. “Wathint’ Abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo” — You strike a woman, you strike a rock — now echoes in trainers and race bibs, in packed lunchboxes for hospital days, and in the steady love of a community carrying one of its own. On National Women’s Day, 9 August, families across the school shared notes of encouragement with Zanele, a living lesson for the girls about courage, compassion and collective action.

Faith, Family and an Unshakable Why

The campaign is intentionally practical: funds are being used for transport to and from hospital, nutritious food to support recovery, and care for Sethu while his mom undergoes treatment — everyday costs that cancer magnifies.

“Because of your support I can focus on treatment without the constant worry,” Zanele says. “Your kindness inspires me every day, and I look forward to giving back.”

This run of love is becoming a bridge back to the classroom that so dearly misses her. The total isn’t just a number; it represents steady steps through treatment toward the moment when children once again run into her arms. It steadies a family so a son can finish matric with his mother cheering from the sidelines. And it reminds an entire country — especially during Women’s Month — that ordinary steps taken together can rewrite a difficult chapter.

Before the final kilometre, there’s a simple invitation: join them. Share this story with someone who needs a little hope today. Donate if you can. Help carry Zanele Princess Mrasi through this chapter with dignity, love, and strength — step by step, back to the happy, singing classroom she built for so many.

In Their Own Words — A few Messages from the Girls

— Asma: “I miss Ms Mrasi. I love her because she taught us isiXhosa songs. The songs and dancing were so funny — they’re my favourite memory.”

— Ivy: “My favourite thing was when she gave us bee stickers on our birthdays. She plays with us so we feel safe. I also like how she teaches us isiXhosa.”

— Ava: “My favourite thing about Ms Mrasi is her lovely snuggles. On Wednesday in the old Busy Bee class she told us a story in a funny voice. She’s the best. Ms Mrasi, when are you coming back to school? I miss you and I love you.”

(These are just three of the messages — watch the video to hear more of what makes Ms Mrasi so special.)

To support Zanele Princess Mrasi visit their BackaBuddy campaign link here:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/miles-for-ms-mrasi

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