Pietermaritzburg – The Durban Green Corridor have provided much of the labour force during the trail building process of the BSi dusi2c for the past two years and the environmental initiative has branched out into helping the local community in a number of ways including a youth development programme as well as providing a number of the course builders with a chance to ride in the 2014 event starting in Pietermaritzburg on 22 June and ending at Blue Lagoon in Durban a day later.
Involving the local community in the Valley of a Thousand Hills has been an important part of the Durban Green Corridor (DGC) initiative and starting the projects at a youth level is a vital of their youth educational aims.
“We have to thank our Trails Manager Ewan Cochrane for all that he does with our youth programme,” mentioned Durban Green Corridor’s Marketing and Business Development Manager, Anna da Graça. “He is extremely committed to the development of the youth in the area and is working hands on with the community to get children involved in physical activity.”
Photo: Gavin Ryan/Gameplan Media
The Durban Green Corridor incorporates a number of members of the local community in its ecotourism initiative and Da Graça feels that these projects are vital in changing the lives of the people that call the Valley their home.
Influencing the youth positively is a large part of the enterprises that the Durban Green Corridor has set up and by getting children involved from a young age, Da Graça believes that it can only be beneficial to them.
“DGC makes a huge difference to the lives of the communities it operates in and by attracting adventure and eco-tourists to the uMngeni Valley we create more job opportunities and opportunities for the up-skilling of local people.
“In addition, we offer activities for local youth who otherwise would not have been able to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of their surrounding areas,” she added.
A unique opportunity has been given to four of the men that help Cochrane with preparing the trails by dusi2c organiser Glenn Haw affording them the opportunity to ride the race with four other experienced riders for the two-day journey along the Msundusi and Mngeni Rivers.
“We are so proud of our Durban Green Corridor team of riders who are taking part in the dusi2c this year to represent the project.
“Stephan Gwensa, Cosmos Goba, Musa Ngimajola and Gabi Ngcobo are four of our guides who regularly take our Mountain Bike youth programme out on our trails and also offer mountain bike guided tours to the general public.
“It means a lot to them to be riding in this year’s dusi2c and representing a project they are so heavily involved in.
“Without their passion we would not be able to offer the after school mountain biking programme at eNanda Adventures and motivate so many local children to pick up a bike and get active after school,” Da Graça added.
The four men set to team up with the Durban Green Corridor riders are great supporters of the initiative and Da Graça is looking forward to them representing their brand as well.
“In addition we welcome Wayne Hartmann and Henry Verhoeven from Grindrod and Devlin Fogg from Bike Life who, as keen supporters of the Durban Green Corridor project, are excited to ride in our kit to demonstrate their commitment.
“Ewan (Cochrane) will be the final rider on the DGC Team and I am positive that the whole experience will be hugely beneficial for everyone that is involved!” Da Graça concluded excitedly.
More information can be found at www.dusi2c.co.za
Source Gameplan Media
