Its been hectic,so stressing but determined as he was,Albert promised me that the website would launch today,yes the 30th of April 2009.I have been so pushy,but i know the chap was drained.But i was so unforgiving,we work with deadlines! And today in the morning he sent me an SMS that he was stuck ,his car was not starting(Maybe it has caught Swine flu!).Ha ha ha ,but what i knew is Albert never gives up so there he came,with his Apple Mac box at around 11am!Hey some people are blessed,i am used to the 9-5 routine!Oh i am joking,for Trail of Hope there is no holiday,there is no weekend,there is nothing like 9-5!Its crazy,down on the planning,logistics,sponsorship application and all that!
http://www.trailofhope.co.za/
Yesterday we went to BMW Motorrad Waterfront,and checked on the bikes and we have decided to use the BMW F800 GS ,yes a good bike it is,so we will see how good it is when we go on training.
Well,the pressure is now sinking in,luckily i have pressure absorbing adaptors in my body system!Oh no don't go around shopping for that,its not sold,you just have to teach yourself,step by step!On your own and in your space!
So now the ball is really rolling.From Monday,its press and sponsorship hunting!Yeah its so exciting and so far so good,i am loving it!Most people are amazed,they see the two of us,me and Albert as two poor okes with 3 months to waste and lives to endanger!Ha ha ha thats the true spirit of Adventure.
"Be part of the smiles!"
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Meaning of Trail of Hope
Trail of Hope demonstrates the power each of us has, within us to briefly brighten, if not permanently enhance, the lives of those kids facing hardships .Bringing together our creativity and commitment to the belief that anything is possible.
Other people’s perceptions can limit what a kid can accomplish, but Trail of Hope seeks to remove those barriers. Most kids who live in desperate poverty have little or no exposure to anything outside their negative environment, the constant negative influence poverty brings .And the two Trail of Hope riders can both identify with those who struggle as Tendai moved into the streets at a tender age of 9 and was to spend 5 years in and out of the streets .Albert is still learning more about how life is like in that world!
But with privilege comes responsibility to give back ,and so Trail of Hope seeks to create a world, one community at a time , that embraces all races, economic classes, cultures and abilities-realizing that we are nothing without each other and that we have no value when we have an invisible community within us ,THE SO CALLED STREET CHILDREN.
If we can all emulate the examples of decency and dignity that graces other people lives because of selfless giving and be inspired to serve others who may not be so blessed.
Other people’s perceptions can limit what a kid can accomplish, but Trail of Hope seeks to remove those barriers. Most kids who live in desperate poverty have little or no exposure to anything outside their negative environment, the constant negative influence poverty brings .And the two Trail of Hope riders can both identify with those who struggle as Tendai moved into the streets at a tender age of 9 and was to spend 5 years in and out of the streets .Albert is still learning more about how life is like in that world!
But with privilege comes responsibility to give back ,and so Trail of Hope seeks to create a world, one community at a time , that embraces all races, economic classes, cultures and abilities-realizing that we are nothing without each other and that we have no value when we have an invisible community within us ,THE SO CALLED STREET CHILDREN.
If we can all emulate the examples of decency and dignity that graces other people lives because of selfless giving and be inspired to serve others who may not be so blessed.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Challenges
Its all a challenging adventure,so exciting but also taxing.I am glad ,Albert never gives up ,so do i,we crack all day,sometimes fail to even eat as we put everything together.Imagine the thought of putting our lives on the line in Sudan!Ha ha ha its crazy hey!But we are both going to do it,we will face it all and live through it.We will ride in the desert,we will endure the heat.Its not easy for the two of us to be doing all,but we have found it necessary to have control over most aspects of our trip so that at the end of the day it becomes a success.
Well we haven't set the actual departure dates but its somewhere around end of July should all go as planned.Meanwhile we have press releases we are rolling out this week.By Friday our website will be up and running.We have Trail of Hope t-shirts also coming out.Its here where we will be updating the world about all the developments.We have a lot happening,interesting news to share ,potential sponsorship deals !Funnily we have not realised that we have tied ourselves up for the whole year from now!
We are bound to be in magazines ,newspapers and radio to promote our Trail of Hope bike trip Cape Town-Berlin-London.Yes there are challenges,for instance on local varnecular radio stations we will be forced to use English.I can understand most SA languages but i am not fluent.At least Albert can praat(speak) Africans.But should that be a barrier?NO...........We are putting across one massage,ITS UNACCEPTABLE FOR OUR CHILDREN TO LIVE IN THE STREETS.Whatever language you can use to say that,please put it on the comments so the we know what to write and say! Zulu,Tsonga ,Pedi ,Sotho,Venda ,Tswana or Swati.The massage is the same!
Okay most of you would like to know how you can help,how you can be part of this,firstly,sign up to follow this blog!
Well we haven't set the actual departure dates but its somewhere around end of July should all go as planned.Meanwhile we have press releases we are rolling out this week.By Friday our website will be up and running.We have Trail of Hope t-shirts also coming out.Its here where we will be updating the world about all the developments.We have a lot happening,interesting news to share ,potential sponsorship deals !Funnily we have not realised that we have tied ourselves up for the whole year from now!
We are bound to be in magazines ,newspapers and radio to promote our Trail of Hope bike trip Cape Town-Berlin-London.Yes there are challenges,for instance on local varnecular radio stations we will be forced to use English.I can understand most SA languages but i am not fluent.At least Albert can praat(speak) Africans.But should that be a barrier?NO...........We are putting across one massage,ITS UNACCEPTABLE FOR OUR CHILDREN TO LIVE IN THE STREETS.Whatever language you can use to say that,please put it on the comments so the we know what to write and say! Zulu,Tsonga ,Pedi ,Sotho,Venda ,Tswana or Swati.The massage is the same!
Okay most of you would like to know how you can help,how you can be part of this,firstly,sign up to follow this blog!
Street Children Are Jewels of Society
When we see children living on the streets the first question that comes to mind is "Why?" Forget about the standard of living, hundreds of thousands of children across Africa are forced to live in the street and are subjected to exploitation, abuse and violence each year. They are trafficked into abysmal prostitution rings, forced into ceaseless violence and recruited into many other forms of modern slavery.As this trend mounts, the international community, civil society, the United Nations and UNICEF must pull their heads out of the sand. Urgent questions now demand clear answers. What will happen to these children, or street children to be precise?
Before we go further, let us be clear about the term "street children." According to Human Rights Watch, "The term street children refers to children for whom the street, more than their family has become their real home. It includes children who might not necessarily be homeless or without families, but who live in situations, where there is no protection, supervision, or direction from responsible adults."Moreover, UNICEF has sub-categorized and defined street children into three types: Street-Living, Street-Working, and Street-Family.According to UNICEF, children from street families are children who live on the streets with their families.Street working children are children who spend most of their time working in the streets and markets of cities, but return home on a regular basis.Among these three categories, the reality of street living children is pathetic. According to UNICEF, "Street living children are children who may have lost their families through war or illness, or have been abandoned because they had become too much of a burden, or else ran away from their abusive, dysfunctional, poverty-stricken families and now live alone on the streets.""They work, living and sleeping in the streets, often lacking any contact with their families. These children are at highest risk of murder, constant abuse and inhumane treatment. They often resort to petty theft and prostitution for survival," reports UNICEF.
Though the U.N. has estimated the population of street children worldwide at 150 million, nobody knows their exact number in South Africa as street children are not easy to count because they move around a lot, within and between cities like Cape Town, Durban and Joburg .The life of street children is so pathetic that with the little money they make by street based jobs, such as car washing, begging,running errands, flower selling, newspaper selling, street vending, and shoe shining, they cannot afford one full meal a day, and most of the time they are hungry. It is hunger that is forcing them into criminal activities, and the ultimate reward they get is mob beatings or a jail term.To survive, every street child has to work very hard and in many ways they are threatened with various forms of violence as well as drug abuse. Many such children develop physical complications related to their hazardous work and unhygienic living conditions. As a result, they become apathetic to social norms and values.The horrible tale, sadly, doesn't end here. street children are often at greatest risk of violence from those that are responsible to protect them -- the police,security companies and other higher authorities."Police and securities often beat, harass, sexually assault and even torture street children. They may beat children for their money or demand payment for protection to avoid false charges, or for release from custody. They may seek out girls to demand sex. For many street children, assaults and thefts by the police are a routine part of their lives. Some are even killed by police. Very rarely are those responsible brought to justice,"
Schemes alone are not adequate.Where poverty breaks up families, economic and social policies must come together to help protect the dignity of children's lives. Moreover, the international community must back the efforts of countries in Sub Sahara, that are willing to take comprehensive steps through programs with non-governmental organizations to reduce the number of children on the streets.Fortunately, people around the world are joining a growing conscious movement for children living in our streets
Overcoming it requires an in-depth understanding of the factors that force children into streets, as well as effective interventions suited to each unique socio-cultural and economic environment.The problem of street children is complex; so the policymakers most employ multiple interventions that are integrated with one another. They should implement sustainable alternatives to keep children from returning to the hazardous and exploitive situations on the cold streets.An additional vital component of eradicating the problem is the insertion of community awareness activities in project designs. For example, a public awareness campaign to educate parents, community leaders, local organizations, teachers, and civil society about the multifarious hazards associated with street children and its negative long-term effects on future society would be beneficial.Let us not forget that the fight against street children is to expand the frontiers of human dignity and independence in the long run.
Before we go further, let us be clear about the term "street children." According to Human Rights Watch, "The term street children refers to children for whom the street, more than their family has become their real home. It includes children who might not necessarily be homeless or without families, but who live in situations, where there is no protection, supervision, or direction from responsible adults."Moreover, UNICEF has sub-categorized and defined street children into three types: Street-Living, Street-Working, and Street-Family.According to UNICEF, children from street families are children who live on the streets with their families.Street working children are children who spend most of their time working in the streets and markets of cities, but return home on a regular basis.Among these three categories, the reality of street living children is pathetic. According to UNICEF, "Street living children are children who may have lost their families through war or illness, or have been abandoned because they had become too much of a burden, or else ran away from their abusive, dysfunctional, poverty-stricken families and now live alone on the streets.""They work, living and sleeping in the streets, often lacking any contact with their families. These children are at highest risk of murder, constant abuse and inhumane treatment. They often resort to petty theft and prostitution for survival," reports UNICEF.
Though the U.N. has estimated the population of street children worldwide at 150 million, nobody knows their exact number in South Africa as street children are not easy to count because they move around a lot, within and between cities like Cape Town, Durban and Joburg .The life of street children is so pathetic that with the little money they make by street based jobs, such as car washing, begging,running errands, flower selling, newspaper selling, street vending, and shoe shining, they cannot afford one full meal a day, and most of the time they are hungry. It is hunger that is forcing them into criminal activities, and the ultimate reward they get is mob beatings or a jail term.To survive, every street child has to work very hard and in many ways they are threatened with various forms of violence as well as drug abuse. Many such children develop physical complications related to their hazardous work and unhygienic living conditions. As a result, they become apathetic to social norms and values.The horrible tale, sadly, doesn't end here. street children are often at greatest risk of violence from those that are responsible to protect them -- the police,security companies and other higher authorities."Police and securities often beat, harass, sexually assault and even torture street children. They may beat children for their money or demand payment for protection to avoid false charges, or for release from custody. They may seek out girls to demand sex. For many street children, assaults and thefts by the police are a routine part of their lives. Some are even killed by police. Very rarely are those responsible brought to justice,"
Schemes alone are not adequate.Where poverty breaks up families, economic and social policies must come together to help protect the dignity of children's lives. Moreover, the international community must back the efforts of countries in Sub Sahara, that are willing to take comprehensive steps through programs with non-governmental organizations to reduce the number of children on the streets.Fortunately, people around the world are joining a growing conscious movement for children living in our streets
Overcoming it requires an in-depth understanding of the factors that force children into streets, as well as effective interventions suited to each unique socio-cultural and economic environment.The problem of street children is complex; so the policymakers most employ multiple interventions that are integrated with one another. They should implement sustainable alternatives to keep children from returning to the hazardous and exploitive situations on the cold streets.An additional vital component of eradicating the problem is the insertion of community awareness activities in project designs. For example, a public awareness campaign to educate parents, community leaders, local organizations, teachers, and civil society about the multifarious hazards associated with street children and its negative long-term effects on future society would be beneficial.Let us not forget that the fight against street children is to expand the frontiers of human dignity and independence in the long run.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
How It All Started.
Well all sounds so funny but all i can say is ,it was meant to happen.I am someone who has learnt to believe and i have also taught myself to dream.So there i was with a lot of ideas in my mind,how would i change the world.Would Obama do it alone?Didn't i have my part to play?Would i do it alone,how long would it take.I hasitantly sent an email to Albert who was working just upstairs,i never knew how he would react.Funnily he did not notice the mail and i had to follow up and have his views,but instead it was all i wanted to hear,"Tendai i will go with you!"
Yes this is what i had been expecting and so,already i had a riding partner.The previous night i had written BMW Mottarad Club(Cape Town) and they had responded positively.I know these guys played a part in convincing Albert that we could do this.The chairman had given me the right people to contact for the bike sponsorship!So when i approached Albert i had a print out of the response from the club chairman!There was nothing solid,but still the little words written on the A4 bond paper would have a lifetime effect on the two of us.
What i did not know is ,Albert a professional photographer/Author had climbed Mt Kilimanjaro for SAVE THE RHINO, 10 years ago!This is the charactor i actually needed on my riding partner,the sense of adventure and NO FEAR approach to anything.He had invited me to hike Lion's Head and watch sunset at the peak!That was the moment when we became so close and we started to know each other more.
Well for me,a street survivor,author ,hip hop artist and street activist now becoming a rider nothing would stop me from setting out,putting my life on the line to spread the massage of HOPE to all children living in our Streets across Africa.
We had to start rolling,so there we go!
Yes this is what i had been expecting and so,already i had a riding partner.The previous night i had written BMW Mottarad Club(Cape Town) and they had responded positively.I know these guys played a part in convincing Albert that we could do this.The chairman had given me the right people to contact for the bike sponsorship!So when i approached Albert i had a print out of the response from the club chairman!There was nothing solid,but still the little words written on the A4 bond paper would have a lifetime effect on the two of us.
What i did not know is ,Albert a professional photographer/Author had climbed Mt Kilimanjaro for SAVE THE RHINO, 10 years ago!This is the charactor i actually needed on my riding partner,the sense of adventure and NO FEAR approach to anything.He had invited me to hike Lion's Head and watch sunset at the peak!That was the moment when we became so close and we started to know each other more.
Well for me,a street survivor,author ,hip hop artist and street activist now becoming a rider nothing would stop me from setting out,putting my life on the line to spread the massage of HOPE to all children living in our Streets across Africa.
We had to start rolling,so there we go!
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Mission-Trail of Hope
Tendai Sean Joe and Albert Arcona from the MylifE Foundation, are preparing a motorbike run from Cape town and arriving in Berlin in November this year. And travel through South Africa and into Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania , Kenya ,Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Spain ,France ,United Kingdom and Germany.The two activists are from diverse backgrounds, Tendai Sean Joe is a Zimbabwean born former “street” child who has achieved the impossible in life and to become a role model to all of us. Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa – “street” child, achiever – mind blowing story, Albert is a South African author/photographer who climbed Mt Kilimanjalo 10 years ago,to raise funds for SAVE THE RHINO had his life changed forver the day he walked into the MylifE Foundation. (Embracing the racial and social boundaries between them , the two are embarking on a journey that will test their trust , level of humanity and togetherness as they raise awareness of the lives of the amazing children of Africa, the children’s HOPES and DREAMS and what support they need to achieve in life. The dialogue of the children will be HEARD! They are putting their barometer at raising $1 million which will see a Pilot Eco Village in Cape Town being built that will replicate both its blueprint and trained leadership teams to do the same though out Africa.http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Trail-of-Hope-2009/73643323890?ref=nfLets all be a part of this journey with the Tendai, Albert and the MylifE Foundation and bring HOPE to our World, once we as a humanity understand the needs of the children in Africa and work with the SOLUTIONS Africa has to offer and stops funding the PROBLEMS – we will see change http://www.mylife.org.za/
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