Race Coverage

Race Coverage

RACE Coverage

Namib Race Home

Supporting Local Namibians

 

At each of our races, RacingThePlanet supports a cause that directly benefits the people or environment close to the race location.

For the last couple of years we have supported a grass roots organisation that helps to provide meals for the children of the DRC, a poor area (slum) of Swakopmund.

BACKGROUND

The people of DRC have challenging lives surviving under the poverty line in one of the poorest areas of Swakopmund. DRC is just 4 kilometers from the centre of Swakopmund. Most visitors to Swakopmund would not know that there are thousands of people living without electricity and proper housing nearby.

Clifton, a resident of DRC, knew what it felt like to be hungry when growing up. So, he decided to do something about it and he set up Helping Hands, a charity that provides lunch for approximately 200 children every week. He now dedicates one day per week to feeding the children of DRC.

The meeting place is a little shack made of corrugated iron that the children of Swakopmund know well. Every Tuesday, they line up at the Helping Hands centre to receive their sandwich lunch. The kids range from 3 to about 12 years old and the weekly free lunch provides them much needed comfort in their otherwise unpredictable lives.

To give visitors to Namibia a perspective of life in the country that they otherwise may not see, Clifton set up The Sandwich Tour which essentially is a humanitarian travel experience taking tourists to DRC to visit the locals. During the tour, visitors have the opportunity to prepare and serve a simple  lunch for the local children. The tourists get to see the other side of Namibia while the children get to meet people from the outside world and practice their English.

This year, RacingThePlanet joins the Sandwich Tour for the third time and encourages race participants to join us, too. 

Sandwich Tour, Namibia

JOIN THE SANDWICH TOUR

The Sandwich Tour is an incredibly worthwhile experience, a great way to help the locals of Namibia, and understand a bit more about another side of the country. There are two tours planned:

  • Thursday, 25 April.
  • Sunday, 5 May.

Cost

  • The cost is US$10 to cover the transport.
  • An optional / recommended donation of about US$50 is suggested to go towards the food that you will give out and future lunches for the children.
  • If you have space in your luggage you can also bring used clothing, books, notebooks, pens, etc. and give them to the children or the volunteers when you go to the DRC area.

A donation of US$50 will buy lunch for more than 50 children.

Itinerary

  • Pick up at the hotel at 11.30am - you'll be back by 3:30pm.
  • Be driven to the DRC area outside Swakopmund.
  • Stop at the outdoor market / BBQ with a chance to sample some of the local food and see what they are cooking.
  • Go to the little church that is used as the meeting point for children to come to for lunch.
  • Help to prepare lunch for the children and give it to them.
  • When the lunch is over then we stop at a local artisan jewellery / craft store on the way out of the DRC where the family will (or likely will) be making some of the items.
  • Be taken back to Swakopmund.

The race, the Namib people and the desert is special but this tour will enhance your experience of the overall trip.

“It touched my heart the first time and I believe it takes the RacingThePlanet hash tag “#morethanarace” to a whole different level”.

Ken Alderdice from Northern Ireland.

You can see more about it on their Facebook page: Sandwich Tour - A Humanitarian Travel Experience

If you want to find out more about the Sandwich Tour, email Ken (one of our volunteers who has got more involved with this project) at [email protected].

DONATION OF ITEMS

Whether you are able to join the Sandwich Tour or not – you can still make a difference. There are several items that would be highly beneficial for both the learning centre and the Sandwich Tours. Here is a list of items that would be greatly appreciated in case you have room in your luggage.

Educational Supplies:

  • Books (especially educational and children's books).
  • Pens, pencils, and other stationery.
  • Notebooks and writing pads Educational games and puzzles.

Clothing:

  • Clothing for all ages – second hand / gently used is fine.

Hygiene Products:

  • Sanitary pads.

School Equipment:

  • Educational posters and charts.

Sports Equipment:

  • Soccer balls.
  • Basketballs.
  • Sports shoes.
  • Other sports gear.

Other Useful Items:

  • Reusable water bottles.
  • Solar-powered lamps or flashlights.