For runners, the Comrades Marathon is one of the ultimate tests of endurance. But each day in South Africa, countless children face an even greater test of endurance: extreme poverty. Hunger wracks the bodies of children. Preventable diseases like HIV, malaria and tuberculosis tear through their communities. Dirty water — often collected miles from home — kills people every day. Education and economic opportunity are but distant dreams for many.

Partnership with Comrades Marathon Association

WVSA is an official charity of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA). Through our valued partnership, we have the opportunity to complement each other in extraordinary ways. The Comrades Marathon captures the imagination of our whole nation with the incredible camaraderie and support of runners for runners, which never seize to leave people in awe.

The race affords a unique transformation of thousands of hopeful road runners who dreams of competing in and completing the race, and hence becoming a Comrades hero in your own right. These points stand parallel to the transformational development arena, where dreams of ‘completing the survival race’ by those who are held captive by issues of poverty and injustice are equally applicable. 

Ways of involvement in our Comrades Campaign

Runners – and everyone else – can choose to support World Vision South Africa through the Comrades ‘Race 4 Charity’ endeavor (more details below). Additionally, those wishing to become part of our Team World Vision (TWV) have the challenge of preparing for and running the grueling 90-kilometer Comrades Marathon with that of raising sponsorships for disadvantaged South African children. 

By recruiting sponsorships and/or raising funds for us through our Comrades Campaign, you and the CMA help to bring real, measurable, tangible and lasting change to the less fortunate children of South Africa, and assist in the immense fight against poverty in South Africa. This will allow children to gain access to life’s basic necessities – such as nutritious food, clean water, healthcare, education, economic opportunity and caring staff.

The Team World Vision members cannot run the transformation race alone. This is why our Comrades Campaign places such a high premium on our plight to corporate businesses, runners and the public at large to come alongside us and thus help the children who currently suffer from the ill effects of poverty along the road to a better future.

You can choose to support WVSA and our Comrades Campaign in various ways:

1. Fundraising through Race 4 Charity

Race 4 Charity offers runners (supported by their circles of friends and loved ones) an opportunity to turn their running efforts into something great for charity. By creating a Race 4 Charity fundraising page you are able to raise funds for WVSA by your donors using their Credit Card (securely through PayPal), an electronic fund transfer or a premium rate sms (only available within the borders of South Africa) to make donations to us.

The Comrades Marathon Association has allocated a special seeding batch for those runners who have raised money for WVSA as one of the Amabeadibeadi charities in the build up to the Comrades Marathon 2012. In order to qualify to start in this batch you need to raise a minimum of R5 000. The benefits of qualifying for this seeding batch include the superior seeding, special goodie bags and spot prizes exclusive to the charity-seeding group. The CMA also managed to secure some incentive prizes for those runners who raise the most for the Amabeadibeadi charities. Normal entry and qualification criteria still apply for the 2012 Comrades Marathon.

2. Sponsor a child in need

The problems children face in the developing world differ, but the cause is always the same – poverty. Through child sponsorship you truly can do something about it, something extraordinary.

World Vision Child Sponsorship – involving a monthly sponsorship gift of R150 – is a unique opportunity for you to connect with a specific child in need, and transform that child’s life and community forever. Sponsorship provides resources that go into programmes that are usually 10 to 15 years in length and are custom-designed in collaboration with community leaders to address key needs. Programmes are child-focused but also benefit non-sponsored children and families.

This is your chance to build a special relationship with a vulnerable child and community in South Africa. As a child sponsor, you and the child will be connected to each other by the trading of letters and photos. The child will know your name and feel your loving care.

3. Run with Team World Vision

Each year, we have a team of individuals from all walks of life who choose to run the Comrades Marathon for ‘Team World Vision’ (TWV). Overseas runners combine the challenge of preparing for and running the grueling 90-kilometer Comrades Marathon with the challenge of raising multiple sponsorships for children. South African runners, however, are encouraged to show their support for World Vision South Africa and our cause by joining the TWV group on Comrades race day irrespective of their sponsorship/fundraising results.

On race day, the overseas TWV runners are visible in special orange-and-white TWV apparel. Since the CMA rules and regulations require South African runners to do so in their relevant club clothing, those wanting to show their support for WVSA by joining the TWV group can do so by wearing orange socks and orange wrist and head/sweat bands.

4. Epic journey to a development project

One of the unique incentives offered to members of TWV who have manage to recruit multiple child sponsorships is that they form part of an epic journey to an impoverished area in South Africa where we work to experience first-hand the results of our transformational development. They also get to meet sponsored children, interact with members of the community, form part of a fun run with children and see how the funds raised are utilized to exchange despair for hope.

South Africans who wish to form part of such an unforgettable journey will have secured a child sponsorship of their own (which they will get to meet) and have recruited 90 other sponsorships. These visitors to the community will, among others, receive special memorabilia to show, “I care and so I run” and will be honored on our WVSA/Comrades Hall of Fame, which will be published on various websites of CMA and WVSA partnership groups and companies.

5. Once-off donations

You may want to choose to do a once-off donation to WVSA according to your circumstances and ability. This can be indicated on the Commitment Form and done via the Race 4 Charity website.

6. Matching donations from companies/businesses

You may be in a position to secure support from within your industry, your employer or business networks you deal with to match the amount you have raised for WVSA, or alternatively to get them to sponsor Comrades runners per kilometer.

7. Get family and friends to join WVSA at the Comrades Marathon

WVSA will have two major Orangeville Cheering Stations along the route; the details thereof still to be confirmed. (Orange is World Vision’s primary corporate colour.) We would love South Africans to join WVSA on race day at these cheering stations to encourage our runners and salute them for helping to raise awareness of the fight against poverty in our country.

Act now!

Start an exciting journey with World Vision South Africa. We want to hear from you.

E-mail enquiries can be sent to the information office WVSA, E-mail: [email protected]