Leemisa Thuseho
CHARITY cycling movement, Tour de Frontline (TdF), will be in Maseru for a one-day tour on Sunday.
The tour is meant to raise funds for charity according to TdF founder, Semoli Mokhanoi.
Mr Mokhanoi specifically founded TdF in 2021 to help in efforts to raise funds for charity through cycling.
“The cause is to raise funds for different initiatives that support the less privileged, especially during this trying time of Covid-19,” Mr Mokhanoi said.
“The main purpose is to foster a relationship between corporations and charities. We are cycling ambassadors for poverty alleviation, education promotion and health care.”
The corporate world is expected to contribute towards the event by paying participation fees for the cyclists although individuals are also allowed to contribute and participate. The cyclists are expected to pay M2 per kilometre.
The tour, which Mr Mokhanoi said would be a trial run, will see 10 cyclists competing in a 150-kilometre race around Maseru. All riders are from Lesotho.
The corporate partners for the Sunday race are Alliance Insurance Company, Cadiant Partners Actuaries and Consultants Lesotho, Mergence Investments Managers Lesotho and Stanlib Lesotho.
The TdF charity initiative was originally launched in Gauteng, South Africa, last year. Since its inception, it has been holding events in Gauteng. However, Mr Mokhanoi said this year they were expanding into other South African cities and neighbouring countries.
“The initiative started in Gauteng because I am based in South Africa although I am originally from Mohalalitoe in Maseru hence I decided to bring TdF to Lesotho,” he said.
Apart from the Lesotho tour, there will be a series of other tours in Gqeberha, East London, Polokwane, Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg as well as eSwatini’s Mbabane and Botswana’s Gaborone.
This year, the TdF was targeting to raise M1 million from all its activities but has already clocked M2, 4million. The Maseru tour alone raised M270 000.
The funds raised from the Lesotho edition will go towards orphanages like Unheard Voices, Touching Tiny Lives and Semonkong Children Care Centre. Kick4Life (soccer kit), Cadiant Sponsorships and the National University of Lesotho (NUL) Innovation Hub are the other beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries will get their donations after the race on Sunday.
An official launch ceremony for the tours is expected in Johannesburg tomorrow.
