Challenges are good. They force you out of your comfort zone. But sometimes challenges are not so good, especially if you are a pensioner in Zimbabwe.
For Zimbabwe’s pensioners, life’s challenges are steep like mountains. Please be introduced to Peter Shaw. His mountain is steep like Everest, and he has to climb it quickly, but needs help.
An ex-farmer, Peter lives in Rusape on a modest pension. In his eighties, Peter greatly enjoys life, and remains fit, strong and healthy, apart from the tumour in his throat. Because he is a proud man and determined to not be a burden on his loved ones, Peter kept his tumour secret, but it is hard to keep secrets that have you gagging and vomiting every time you eat or drink.
There is some good news. Peter is on a basic medical aid and his tumour is stage one and operable. Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends. After help from his family, the shortfall on Peter’s op is $8000, and his pension is only $300. To do the sums for you, Peter needs to save every cent of his pension for the next 26 months to pay for his life-saving op, by which time his tumour will be stage four and spreading, or he will have long starved to death.
The Old Legs mantra is Have Fun, Do Good, Do Epic. To help Peter, raise the $8000 needed, the Old Legs Tour are laying down the Mt Everest Challenge – 8849 meters of climb on your bike, starting October 1st on a hill near you. Sign up on Strava and get your friends to sponsor you up the mountain.
In Harare you can ride with the Old Legs Tour at sunrise every weekend in October on the Chishawasha Left and Right, or you can do your own thing wherever you might be in the world.
N.B. The Old Legs King of the Mountain will be awarded to the rider who climbs the equivalent of Everest in the shortest time, or you can ride with me at the back of the bunch, as long as you complete the climb within the month of October.
Also N.B. In Zimbabwe October is called suicide month for good reason. It will be silly hot out there, so drink lots, and ride within yourself.
Old Legs Tour Trust CABS USD Acct No 1130018407, or to Mdala Trust, Standard Bank (Fish Hoek), Acct Number 374 230 927 using Everest Challenge as your deposit reference. NB The Old Legs Medical Fund will direct donations over and above the $8000 to their next medical procedure.
‘Climb the mountain, raise $300 in donations and we’ll send you a commemorative edition Old Legs Everest ride shirt. ‘
* Names and images may have been changed for privacy reasons
If you are already a ZANE donor, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If you are not a donor but would like to be, please follow the link below and know that every donation, however big or small, goes directly to where it is most needed. If you would like to help but can’t donate, please join the ZANE family and ‘like’ or ‘share’ our posts or write us a Google review – every positive step helps spread the word about the life changing work ZANE does.
Thank you – Nicky Passaportis ZANE Australia
Please donate to support pensioners struggling to survive in Zimbabwe
Any assistance is greatly appreciated and goes a long way to giving our pensioners a better quality of life and lift the pressure of money worries which is very debilitating emotionally.
(Donations made to ZANE in Australia, are tax-deductible)