Starker covers over 500kms in four days
Starker covers over 500kms in four days
BY Duncan Mlanjira
10:00:58 - 06 June 2007
By Monday, missionary Felix Starker, who is on a 3,000kms bike ride to South Africa to raise funds for street children, had covered over 500kms in three days.
Starker’s www.felix-fila.blogspot.com reported that he left Tete in Mozambique for Luenha, 95kms away and managed the 150kms on Monday.
Starker left the country at 7:00am on Friday and by 6:30pm he had travelled 109kms in six hours and 7 minutes.
He covered 134kms on day two in seven hours and 42 minutes and after day three he had travelled for over 340kms.
The South African missionary has undertaken this long journey to his home country to raise funds for Blantyre-based Street Kids Awareness Inc. (Steka).
He left Blantyre from one of the sponsors MultiChoice Malawi offices at 7;00am and he was escorted by 10 riders from Blantyre Cycling Club all the way to Mwanza.
The send off was very emotion as various sponsors and well-wishers gathered at MultiChoice offices and even attracted the interest of scores of passers-by, who cheered the man on after learning what the missionary intended to do.
MultiChoice’s Managing Director Eddie Smith told the gathering that they were proud to be one of the sponsors for Starker’s noble journey, which apart from helping Steka, the initiative was also meant to raise awareness on the plight of abused children.
“This is a great day for abused children,” he said. “We read a lot of sad stories about children being abused and we should all join hands in stopping this.
“So, Felix will be travelling into Mozambique, Swaziland and into South Africa spreading the message that we should all fight against child abuse.
“Felix is a great person, he has the passion for the Lord and that is manifested in his love for children. During his two years of missionary work, he helped strengthen orphanage based in Bvumbwe and Bangula,” Smith said.
The other companies who have so far contributed K900,000 include AB Mechanical, Agora, APL, Bata Shoes, Beit Cure Int Hospital, Blantyre Cycle Club, BMW, Candlex, CarGill, CFAO, Colgate, Combined Cargo, CPC, Chibuku Products, Deekay Suppliers, Entyre, Ericsson, Farmers Organisation, Group 4 Securicor, Henred Fruehauf Malawi, Illovo (one ton of sugar), Innscor, IT Centre, Land Rover, Leopard Match, Mac Steel, Manica Malawi, Monolux Paints, MultiChoice, Nico, Ori Meat, Portfolio Graphic Design, Robray, Siku Transport, Standard Bank, St. Patrick’s Academy, Stanfield Motors, Toyota Malawi, Universal Industries.
Family and friends sponsors are Aslam Sabadia, Cathy Franzel, Eddie Smith, Godsknows Maseko, Phil Wetten, Piet Linda Uys, Rashid Jakhura (all from Malawi), Althea Meyer, Skallas Yolande Smit, Tienie van Schalkwyk, Basil Kenmuir, Christo Martie Grobler, Jock Anderson, Leslie Kenmuir (all from South Africa), Bram Joke Schoon, Chrissie Onderstal, Marcel Glenda (Holland), Brian (Canada), Cal MacLennan (UK), Dave Lewis, Dennis Appel, Kirk and Jayne Flanagan (US), Ewald Starker (brother), Rodney Leoni Starker Fox (sister).
Standard Bank, who donated K40,000, will also provide refreshments for Starker at every Standard Bank in Mozambique, Swaziland and into South Africa.
The route he is taking is Blantyre-Mwanza-Tete-Chimoio-Inhabane-Xai Xai-Maputo then into South Africa’s Komatie Poort before entering Swaziland through Enpangeni and then up to Pretoria.
In an interview with journalists, Starker said he was very excited that the dream he planned over two years ago was now a reality.
He said he had trained hard for it having covered over 6,000 kilometres as practise in the past year.
“Let’s pay more attention to street kids and all abused children, they have the potential to help in the development of the country in the future if given the chance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Starker’s journey is being updated everyday on www.felix-fila.blogspot.com.
He is armed with his 24-speed mountain bike with dog-trailer where he is keeping his gear such as sleeping bag, camping tent, spare tyres and others and he stops about every 30kms for rest.
Steka Inc. is a registered local NGO that help the victims of child abuse by inspiring them to become reliable and productive citizens.
The NGO’s director Godknows Maseko other volunteers completed a similar fund-raising campaign by walking for 21 days from Blantyre to Mzuzu via Zomba and Lilongwe, covering a total distance of 898km in February 2007.
His accomplishments motivated Starker to try the 3,000kms bike tour.
