2014 sees the launch of the inaugural mothers2mothers (m2m) cycle event, riding from the mountainous Kingdom of Swaziland to the place where the sun rises, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Our journey takes us from the Usutu Forest to the edges of the incredible Kruger National Park, visiting m2m projects along the way and meeting some of the incredible people that make the organisation tick! m2m believes in the power of women to eliminate paediatric AIDS and create health and hope for themselves and their babies, families and communities. We train, employ, and empower Mentor Mothers, who are mothers living with HIV, to work alongside doctors and nurses in understaffed health centres as members of the healthcare team. In one-on-one and group sessions, Mentor Mothers provide essential health education and psychosocial support to other HIV-positive mothers on how they can protect their babies from HIV infection, and keep themselves and their families healthy. Mentor Mothers ties to the community and first hand-hand knowledge of HIV makes them highly effective peer mentors. Our simple and effective Mentor Mother model has been identified as a key strategy in the United Nations Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive. The Plan calls for the meaningful participation of mothers living with HIV in developing policies, designing programmes, and providing care. Since our founding, we have reached more than 1.2 million HIV-positive mothers in nine countries in sub-saharan Africa, and catalysed affiliated Mentor Mother programmes in two additional countries. Yet each day, approximately 700 children are still infected with HIV. 90% of these children live in sub-saharan Africa, and most acquire HIV from their mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. To reach our goal of the elimination of paediatric HIV and to make zero transmission a reality, we have to make this a team effort and this team needs you!
We invite you to join Team m2m by signing up for this challenge and raising much needed funds towards m2m s vital work. Together, let s Cycle to Zero! Julia Hopper Philanthropy & Partnerships Manager/Acting European Director mothers2mothers
Outbound Travel Day: Friday 24 th October, 2014 Overnight flight from London to Johannesburg. Swaziland Arrivals Day: Saturday 25 th October, 2014 Morning arrivals in to Johannesburg and onward 1 hour flight to Manzini airport in Swaziland where the m2m team will meet you for the short transfer (25 mins) to the beautiful Mantenga Valley. Our base for two nights will be the Mantenga Cultural Village where we will stay in thatched cabins. After lunch and rest, there is the option to visit an open air museum, watch a traditional Swazi dance and take a walk to the pretty Mantenga waterfall (30 mins return).
In the early evening, we invite you to a welcome reception hosted by m2m CEO, Frank Beadle de Palomo, and m2m Founder, Dr Mitch Besser. There will be a chance to run through the itinerary and to ask questions about the days ahead. Challenge Day 1: Sunday 26 th October, 2014 On Sunday morning, we make the transfer by road to the peaceful Usutu Forest to start our challenge on a quiet rural track through the beautiful Swazi countryside, cycling through the morning with a stop for lunch at the famous Swazi candles factory. After lunch, we have the opportunity to ride through the Usutu nature reserve, cycling among antelope, zebra, warthog as well as sacred ibis, various egrets and ducks before returning for a relaxing late afternoon by the pool. The evening sees our official Welcome Dinner with m2m Swaziland Director and her team, including Mentor Mothers and project staff. She will give the participants an overview of Swazi country programme and outline of site visits planned for the next day. Duration: Piccolo Route: 44km, climbing to 400m Grande Route: 74km, climbing to 890m Challenge Day 2: Monday 27 th October, 2014 Time to see m2m s work in Swaziland first hand as we visit projects in nearby Mbabane, meeting both m2m s team of Mentor Mothers and Site Coordinators, but also the wonderful mothers whom we support. From there, we are back on our bikes cycling through the fertile rural North Western part of the kingdom, in the Malolotja National Park. The landscape is quite dramatic with participants on the Grande route enjoying a long downhill to the Komati river. From the border of South Africa we shuttle past Nelspruit onto the escarpment of the Eastern Drakensberg to the White River Lodge (1 hour) which will be our base for the night. Our guests for the group dinner will be the South Africa Country Director and her team, who will talk through the South Africa programme and give participants an overview of the work they will see the following day. Piccolo Route: 42km, climbing to 430m Grande Route: 70km, climbing to 910m Challenge Day 3: Tuesday 28 h October, 2014
join (TBC). We start the morning with a short transfer to m2m South Africa s nearby sites at Kabokweni CHC, Msogwaba and Kanyamazane. After approximately a 2-3 hours visit we then transfer on to the picturesque Bourke s Luck Potholes (about an hour). Both groups ride to Potholes, but the Grande group carries on as planned to 3 Rondavel viewpoint and further to Echo Caves, whereas the Piccolo group get a transfer between the Potholes and the view point. From here, we transfer to our hotel in Graskop (45 mins). m2m s Global Ambassadors will lead an evening discussion over dinner and external speakers may also Piccolo Route: 56km, climbing to 460m Grande Route: 73km, climbing to 750m Challenge Day 4: Wednesday 29 th October, 2014 It is the last day of our incredible m2m journey, with the Grande route starting out riding from the hotel to the Pinnacle, an impressive sand stone column, then on to the scenic God s Window lookout point. The Piccolo group will be shuttled to God s Window and start from there. The viewpoint offers great views across the lowveld all the way into Mozambique. A short walk takes us into a pocket of rain forest. A nice downhill leads to the 70m tall Lisbon Waterfall. After another 10 km we have completed the loop and pancakes, sweet or savoury will be awaiting participants as a great reward in one of the restaurants in Graskop. Afterwards we ride all the way to the pretty Kruger Park Lodge in Hazyview for a celebratory braai at Sabie River and thank you to all. We will be inviting as many of the m2m team from local sites and offices to join us for the evening and will be encouraging as many of the team to join the last part of the cycle ride to bring you all home in a true race finish style. Piccolo Route: 40km, climbing to 520m Grande Route: 69km, climbing to 820m Departure Day: Thursday 30 th October, 2014 Farewell breakfast and end of official m2m Cycle to Zero Challenge. Options to extend for a couple of nights safari in the Kruger (please see FAQS for more detail). For those wishing to travel home on Thursday, it is still possible to do a 3 or 6 hour safari before transferring to Kruger International Airport (30 mins) in the afternoon for flight to Johannesburg/Cape Town and onto the UK/Other destinations. 300 registration fee (non-refundable)
4520 minimum sponsorship 7 day trip with 4 days cycling Grading: Two routes for different abilities (Piccolo and Grande Routes) Group size: 35 participants Return flights from London to Johannesburg including all taxes Domestic air transfers from Johannesburg to the starting point of the challenge near Manzini, Swaziland Foreign overland transport and luggage transfers All overnight accommodation All lunches (including soft drinks) All evening meals (not including alcohol) Bananas & water during the ride Entrance fees to any national reserves or parks visited on cycling days Public liability insurance Bicycles MTB 21/24 speed front shocks 2 English speaking bicycle guides 1 x m2m Tour cycle shirt Full programme of evening events, site visits & thought leadership from key m2m staff throughout the challenge Spare parts m2m is partnering with a local South African company, African Bikers who are specialists with 20 years experience in creating and leading cycle tours in Swaziland and South Africa. Their team is led by Jens Deister, a German national who made his home in South Africa in 1993 and set up African Bikers in the same year. Jens and his partner and co-founder of African Bikers started their own love affair with Africa by cycling from Frankfurt to Cape Town between 1990 and 1991. This epic journey, with a projected distance of 15,000 km took them through Switzerland, Italy, Tunesia, Algeria, Niger, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Republic of Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe before reaching South Africa 25,500km and 12 months later! Jens is unflappable, highly experienced and very much looking forward to welcoming Team m2m on the Cycle to Zero! You must be 16 years or over to take part. The group size will be 30-40 with people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
The minimum fundraising target of 4520 is set in order to cover all your flights and tour costs, and to ensure that a minimum of 2700 per participant will go to m2m as well as anything you raise over the minimum sponsorship. It is possible therefore to break this cost down to allow you to pay for your own international flights and start with a lower fundraising target of 3720. If you wish to also cover the tour cost including all of the other things listed in the What s Included section upfront, it is possible to do this. This would give you a minimum fundraising target of 2700, all of which would go directly to m2m goal of zero transmission! To find out how to do this, please ask one of the team. We have a number of supporters already signed up from Cape Town, multiple European destinations and even Argentina! The best option would be for you to book your international travel directly but should you wish to fully fundraise this trip, please ask us/call us on +44 (0) 207 589 8254 and we can look at the best travel options and create a tailored fundraising package for you. You will be sent a fundraising pack with great tips on how to meet your sponsorship target. We will also support you to maximise your online fundraising presence via Virgin Giving, Twitter, Facebook and email. We will be in touch regularly and will organise a social evening in September where you can meet other participants. Your group will be accompanied by experienced guides who know the area and the terrain very well. You will also be supported by the m2m team in ensuring the whole event is fun, inspiring and memorable as well. Each participant needs to bring their own cycle helmet. m2m will provide each participant with a branded specialist cycling shirt for the trip and will provide you with a recommended packing list which will detail any equipment you may need. We will provide 21 speed touring bikes in a range of frame sizes suitable for both men and women. In order to find the right size frame for you, please email us with your height and
your inside leg measurement. It may be possible to request a certain amount of road bikes for the Grande Route. Please email us with your request. Yes! It is possible to box up your bike and bring it with you. You can buy bike boxes from most good cycle shops and the approximate cost of transporting your bike will be 35. Personal expenses, such as soft and alcoholic drinks, gifts and international calls. Visas & vaccinations where required. Travel insurance policy you must have this to be allowed to travel. Gratuities the local guides and staff all work extremely hard to ensure a successful trip, so we advise demonstrating your appreciation through a group tip. Onward travel extensions including Thursday 3/6 hour safari from hotel at approx 30-40 per person. Children s programme costs. Participants should have at six months validity on their passports from the date of return to the UK. UK passport holders do not require Visas for either Swaziland or South Africa. The accommodation is all of a good standard with own wc/bathrooms, graded 3 or 4 stars locally. The average daily temperature in October for Swaziland and Mpumalanga is 24 C. The sun rises around 5.30am and sets around 6pm and temperatures fall to around 15 C at night. Yes! m2m has teamed up with luxury safari specialist, Africa Direct, www.africadirect.co.za to give you special rates on a wide range of amazing lodges. Please contact Marc Lindsay- Rea at Africa Direct by email at marc@africadirect.co.za or by telephone on +27 (0) 82 565 9573. Please let them know you are part of Team Cycle to Zero! By mid-june, have raised 20% of their fundraising targets By mid-august, have raised 80% of their fundraising targets By 30 th November, all participants need to have secured the remaining 20% of fundraising and have reached their minimum fundraising targets
Annabelle McGregor: Annabelle.mcgregor@uk.m2m.org Julia Hopper: Julia.hopper@uk.m2m.org Madeleine Swan: Madeleine.swan@uk.m2m.org