Port Elizabeth resident Thabisa Dube is only eight years old and stands barely a metre tall – but her heart, energy and achievements for other children are enormous.
She likes nothing more than riding her bicycle. But unlike most eight-year-olds, Thabisa has used her hobby to help children less fortunate.
Thabisa achieved her dream of participating in the Momentum 94.7 kiddies ride in Johannesburg on 10 November, in the process making the dreams of other children come true.
Thabisa represented Flow PR client Afrika Tikkun as its official ambassador in the kiddies ride, and she more than fulfilled her pledge to leverage off her cycle challenge entry to raise R21 600, enough to send 10 children to an ECD centre.
So successful was Thabisa that she raised R48 250 in money, as well as donations in kind, including a beautiful gesture from Spur, which sponsored lunch for all the children from the Afrika Tikkun Centres of Excellence who joined Thabisa on her ride, as well as the adults who rode to raise funds for Afrika Tikkun in the main cycle challenge.
This means she raised enough to give at least 22 children the very best start in life – attending one of Afrika Tikkun’s early childhood development centres.
And even though she fell off her bicycle during the race, she picked herself up and carried on, succeeding in completing the race.
“I am proud of myself for succeeding, and even prouder that I was able to give so many children a good start in life,” she says. “Children who receive a good education right from early childhood are less likely to turn to crime, and more likely to become productive citizens. I would like to thank everyone who supported me to achieve this goal.”
Afrika Tikkun offers an holistic programme to its beneficiaries, placing equal weight on meeting children’s physical and mental needs.
“We couldn’t be prouder of, or more grateful for, Thabisa’s hard work and generosity,” said Marc Lubner, CEO of Afrika Tikkun. “Gestures like these make all the work we do in community upliftment possible.”
