Image via Adobe Stock
Retired seaman to sail the Cape to Rio race to raise funds for a disadvantaged student
Phil Wade is sailing the Cape to Rio race to raise funds for a marine education bursary so that a deserving young lady can also go to sea one day.
Image via Adobe Stock
Marine Inspirations co-founder, Phil Wade, is sailing the Cape to Rio race to raise funds for a hopeful student, Nqobile.
Nqobile’s dream to sail
Sailing veteran, Wade, now 75, has an urge to go back to sailing across an ocean on a smaller boat, much like he did in his youth. He has chosen to sale the Cape to Rio race for Nqobile, who comes from a very disadvantaged background, and would otherwise never be able to afford her studies.
Wade says, “Nqobile is an intelligent and mature young lady of 16 who currently lives in a shack with her all-female family in Cato Manor township just outside Durban. This is a very poor area and is fraught with social ills and extremely high unemployment. Her father is deceased and her mother is unemployed. The family’s only income is from social welfare grants which is inadequate.”
Ithemba Lethu and Sail Africa
An NGO called Ithemba Lethu works in the Cato Manor and offers peer leadership programmes at seven schools in the region. The NGO mentors and promotes outstanding youngsters between the ages of 12 and 16 in order to produce role models and create upliftment.
As part of this programme, Sail Africa, another NGO, offers sailing as an extra mural activity to one of these schools. A facilitator brings the Grade 8 and 9 learners down to Point Yacht Club each week, and this is how Nqobile started sailing two years ago.
Nqobile is currently first in her Grade at school and is committed to a career at sea. Sail Africa put her forward for a Bursary at Lawhill Maritime Centre in Simonstown and Marine Inspirations are raising the funds to pay for this. Nqobile is excited about going and is determined to work hard to achieve her dream.
How you can help
All money raised will go towards a three-year bursary which will cover all her costs, school fees, full board and lodging plus travel home from Simonstown to Durban during school holidays.
For more information on how you can donate to make Nqobile’s dream come true, please visit the GoFundMe page that Phil has set up.
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