A soccer coach from Bonteheuwel completed his second Cape Town Cycle tour on Sunday in aid of the Amy Foundation.
Amy Foundation (formerly the Amy Biehl Foundation named after the slain Amy Biehl) is a non-profit organisation working to educate, develop, empower and upskill children and youth from challenged and vulnerable communities in Cape Town, South Africa, keeping them away from all negative influences and turning them into emotionally well-rounded contributing global citizens who make positive life choices.
Amy Foundation
Amy Biehl was a bright young American student who lost her life during apartheid whilst she was on a one-year Fulbright scholarship.
Four young men were sentenced to 18 years in jail but thanks to South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process the parents of Amy, Linda and Peter Biehl, supported their application for amnesty and the four young men were released after serving five years in jail.
Two of the four men were so humbled by this forgiveness that they dedicated their lives to the youth and the Amy Biehl Foundation was born.
Amy’s father, Peter, died unexpectedly with no medical insurance in 2002 and by 2006 the Amy Foundation was bankrupt. It became a truly South African organisation and Kevin Chaplin, an ex-banker for 26 years, took over and has been running the Foundation ever since and building it to what it is today.
The Amy Foundation carries out after-school programmes and youth skills development and entrepreneurship programmes using the one-stop-shop approach – from primary and secondary schools and continuing once they have left school until they become economically active.
The programmes support up to 1 200 children and youth daily in four after-school centres based in the underprivileged communities of Cape Town, like Bonteheuwel, and a centre for youth skills development and training in Sybrand Park, near Athlone.
Raising funds
Faizel Newman, soccer coach at Mimosa Primary and Bonteheuwel High School, who did his second cycle tour this past Sunday, explains that he loves sports and cycling especially.
“I love tracking progress and trying to be better at it. I think it makes me a better person and helps me grow in many ways. One thing that cycling has taught me after completing my first one last year is that if you can achieve something without a struggle it’s not going to be satisfying,“ says Newman.
R9 000 will keep one youth in the programmes for a full year and give them access to free programmes, daily meals, outings and outreach activities.
Newman says last year he went in not knowing what to expect, but this year he was better prepared.
TygerBurger spoke to Newman the Monday after the race and he was still in pain, but happy.
“I was thinking of staying in bed, but I am sure the children would like to see me. I want them to realise that if I can do it they can also achieve anything,” he says.
