November 11, 2011: SA golfing legend Gary Player was on hand when Coca-Cola, the presenting sponsor of the Gary Player Invitational (GPI), visited the Buffelsdraai community in KwaZulu-Natal to announce an estimated R1 million donation to boost the work of the Wildlands Conservation Trust.
Wildlands Conservation Trust uplifts rural and peri-urban communities through the creation of “green jobs” for the poor and restores the natural environment of these communities. One of its successes is a waste-preneur programme which sees members of the community barter their recycling in exchange for bicycles, building materials and food.
A trip to the Wildlands project in Buffelsdraai saw Coca-Cola rewarding the sterling efforts of the country’s top 10 waste-preneurs. They were presented with bicycles after meeting their target of each collecting 3 000kgs of recyclable waste.
The GPI, which is hosted at Zimbali Country Club from November 10 to 13, is South Africa’s premier charity sporting event and the target for 2011 is to raise R2 million, dependent on the outcome of the annual black-tie auction on Friday November 11. Every R1 raised at the GPI SA will reward 1kg of plastic waste collected for recycling, with bicycles and food. The bicycles enable improved access to work and education.
Funds raised will be split equally between the Wildlands Conservation Trust and the Gary Player Foundation, which provides quality education to underprivileged children and strengthens impoverished communities.
Cost effective
Wildlands will use its estimated R1 million donation to buy 665 bicycles supplied by Qhubeka, a fellow KwaZulu-Natal non-profit organisation dedicated to using bicycles to provide a cost effective, healthy and effective mobility solution for South Africa’s communities. Wildlands has worked with Qhubeka to develop a Bikes for Life model, through which Green-preneurs either barter their recycling for bicycles or are rewarded with a bicycle for their exceptional effort. The bicycles are assembled in Pietermaritzburg through a partnership between Wildlands, Qhubeka and World Bicycle Relief.
The South African GPI, which features Major golf champions, celebrities and top-flight businessmen rubbing shoulders on the fairways, is the final of the four-tournament international series that includes the United Kingdom, United States, and China. Throughout its history the GPI series has raised more than R250-million for its beneficiaries worldwide. – Ridge Correspondent