Gruelling Desert Bushwalk attracts international walkers
Correspondent | Tuesday August 1, 2017 16:11
The organisers of the annual Moshoeshoe Walk from Lesotho, the Thapoha Hiking Club from Swaziland and Ditsamaya-naga Hiking Club from South Africa came to support the walk.
Thabo Maretlane from Lesotho said they came up with the annual Moshoeshoe Walk to celebrate the life of King Moshoeshoe III and they saw the need to be part of the Botswana’s Dessert Bushwalk. Maretlane who walked 30km said this year’s walk was more challenging but he managed to complete the walk.
“We need to stir the friendship between Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland which was there in the olden days through sports.
Batswana have always been part of the Moshoeshoe Walk and we are returning the favour,” Maretlane said. A member of Ditsamaya-naga Masego Molosiwa said their group have participated in the bushwalk since its inception in 2014 and are willing to continue supporting the walk.
She said this year’s walk was exciting, painful and challenging but most importantly they are happy about the way the proceeds from the walk are used.
“We have heard that the money is channelled towards education in the Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency through building of permanent and life changing infrastructure.
We have met different people from our neighbouring countries in the name of charity and that alone speaks volumes,” Molosiwa said.
The brand ambassador of the Dessert Bushwalk Thabo Osekeng also hailed the walk as an exciting way of raising funds for the needy.
He said it was his first time to take part in the walk and he was overwhelmed by the support from Batswana and neighbouring countries. He however called on the sponsors to shift to be partners in order to reap more rewards such as marketing their products and services and also promoting team building. “Today‘s walk was a bit challenging but we are happy to have brought SADC in Botswana.
The Moshoeshoe Walk organisers have promoted the Dessert Bushwalk in Lesotho and we will be promoting their walk here in Botswana for Batswana to go there in March 2018 and support charity,” Osekeng said.
The Minister of Basic Education Dr Unity Dow who also took part and officiated at the event, expressed gratitude for the concept that continues to benefit the education system of the country.
She said with a brilliant concept like that, the academic performance was bound to improve.
Meanwhile, the brains behind the walk, Archibald Ngakayagae thanked sponsors and participants for a successful event.
He said they exceeded their target of 1,500 participants and said more people kept on enquiring about the availability of the tickets.
The Dessert Bushwalk started in 2014 and proceeds from the first walk went towards construction of a creative learning centre and library at Sese Primary School while last year's funds were handed to the education department.