Ipeleng Khunou is joining the ‘OCAL Journey for Change’ and running to Cape Town to empower differently-abled people in South Africa.
OCAL is a non-profit organisation and its founders, Nicolene Mostert and Alun Davies, have set out to challenge a global belief system regarding disability; focusing on everyone’s unique ability to contribute, rather than a person’s perceived limitations.
“By embracing differences, we help spark individuality — while challenging assumptions and inspiring change, thereby creating greater value by focusing on people’s unique abilities.”
Ipeleng Khunou first made headlines for running in the Two Oceans Marathon. He was selected as the Good Things Guy SPAR Hero of the Week and has since shared his story with us about participating in the OCAL 2018 Journey for Change.
The OCAL Journey for Change is an annual awareness and fundraising initiative that is a non-stop 24 hour, epic 10-day journey from Pretoria to Cape Town, culminated in the FNB12 OneRun undertaken by a team of “ordinary” runners, and hand cyclists. The Journey for Change is not only being run to raise awareness around “disability”, but will also be raising funds for children with Special Education Needs (LSEN) in the Northern Cape.
The non-profit works to bring about equality and have teamed up with Western Cape on Wellness (WoW) to provide beach mats for wheelchair users. This is part of their Universal Beach Access project. The mats enable wheelchair users to wheel down the beach all the way to the water without sinking into the sand.
The money raised during the run from Pretoria to Cape Town will go towards helping the differently-abled youth in Northern Cape.
“OCAL Global has over the past 6 months done extensive research and feasibility studies in the Northern Cape with the view that together with strategic partners create, build and maintain a fully operational, sustainable LSEN school with boarding facilities and skills development initiatives for differently abled kids in the Northern Cape.”
“All these children have physical disabilities most commonly resulting from Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bi da, amputations, genetic syndromes, spinal injuries and traumatic brain injuries. We have currently Identi ed 133 both mentally and physically differently abled children from the following Local Municipalities; Emthanjeni (38), Siyathemba (44) and Renosterberg (51), all funds raised during the OCAL2018 Journey (Phase 1) will be used to purchase in consultation with our occupational therapist partners, wheelchairs, walkers, prosthetics, crutches and their immediate mobility and their day-to-day living needs.”
Ipeleng will be joining a team of 12 differently-abled runners and hand cyclists. They set off on the 10th of May and run for 10 days, covering a distance of 2100kms. You can find out more about Ipeleng’s next journey here.
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