Harambee Challenge
namibia, april 2017
17 runners cover 740 km - the distance from Mayana to Windhoek - in just 3 days!
Harambee - Let’s work together!
The team’s project was a petition run to raise awareness about the conditions in Mayana by covering the distance in a delay formation and delivering a petition to the government in Namibia’s capital. The participants were: Tom, Florentine, Florian , Anke, and Johannes (Kopernikus Gymnasium, Blankenfelde); Tom and Monika (Heidelberg International School); Sebastian (Leipzig); Lore (Swakopmund); and Joseph, Gerhard, Damian, Evalistus, Klaus, Ratio, Peter, Markes, George, Fabianus, Erick, Stanislaus, and John (Mayana).
The first step on arrival in the village was the official opening of the second classroom at Meho Kindergarten and Center.
Two days were then left for the team to train and prepare before leaving on 12th April for Day 1 of the run from Mayana to Roys Camp, where we spent the first night. Altogether we managed to cover 320 km on that day.
On Day 2, we covered 180 km and reached Otjiwarongo, where we camped again. Just after dinner, the team was complete again, when the four students who had been writing exams joined us. Day 3 started with some early morning runners and the whole team met up again in Windhoek at the weighbridge where we met the Chief Inspector of the Prime Minister’s office and the petition was finally handed over. A police escort accompanied the runners into town from where we took off to our accommodation at Windhoek International School. The goal of 740 km was exceeded.
The following day was a deserved rest day. We visited the National Museum, the State House, and the Arts and Crafts market. For 10 out of the 13 runners from Mayana, it was their first time in the capital of their country. Two days later the team was back in the village and reported to a crowd of about 200 people about the petition run and their experience. Everyone present was supportive, lots of questions were raised and answered, and we ended by dancing and singing together.
Our thanks go to:
• all participants that had prepared themselves well for the challenge.
• Allyn for providing the training plan video.
• Sebastian for filming.
• Johannes for the second car.
• Windhoek International School for food, water, energy drinks, and accommodation.
• the Frankes for the wrist bands.
• Heidelberg International School for sponsoring the caps and stickers.
• Anke and Lore for being such great camp captains.
• and all other anonymous sponsors and donors.
leipzig to berlin 28th april 2017
After final prep meetings in Leipzig the week before the challenge the day before had finally arrived. The Yacoub family, under instruction of Kathi, now had to complete grocery shopping, getting the busses and several other minor details sorted for a smooth run of the challenge. After picking up Joseph from LIS, it was time to make sandwiches (120 in total) and goodie bags for all participants until rather late in the evening.
Friday April 28th 2017, an early wake-up call awaited us. All participants had to be at the Olympiastützpunkt in Leipzig at 7:30 to guarantee a punctual start of the run at 8:00. Those were some of the most stressful 30 minutes of the challenge, as runners had to be divided into the busses, and some bike did not fit into the busses…this also had to be organized. The challenge started on time at 8:00 with the first runner and accompanying cyclist. The route was spilt in three parts all operating more or less simultaneously .The moment one runner arrived at their finish line the next one(s) started. We were under quite some time pressure. At about 16:00 the last runners set off and busses made their way to the embassy in Berlin. It was a long day, with many phone calls and driving back and forth to ensure that runners actually meet at the exchange points and that some bikes would make their way to Berlin as well. At about 17:00, we had made it to the Embassy, where some more supporters had already arrived. After a few more minutes of waiting in front of the building we were asked to come in, where the Ambassador Andreas B.D. Guibeb met us. Joseph had the chance to explain why he came all the way from Mayana for this event. The room was completely full and the atmosphere breathtaking. After almost two hours, the Ambassador finished his talk with us and signed the petition, giving the day one last highlight.
Thank you to all runners and cyclists
Becky, Ibrahim, Sami, Lindsay, Geraldine, Jacinta, Peter, Omar, Chuck, Pana, Clara, Lisanne, Pascal, Patrick, Elijah, Hugh, Kai, Elliot, Emre, Lupia ,Mohamad, Hugo ,Eamon, Jeremy, Tom ,Sebastian, Lena , Jasmin, Florentine, Anton, Floria, Larissa, Kefah, Max, Frederic, Simon and Joseph.
Thanks to our bus drivers
HaJo, Erich , Frank and Kamal
Special thanks go to our sponsors
Autohaus Lieske Eilenburg, Autohaus Rühlman Leipzig, Verein Heimvolkshochschule Dübener Heide, Orthopädische Facharzt- und Naturheilpraxis A. Yacoub without them none of this would have been possible.
Kathi Yacoub, Organizer
