that attend school barefoot , as their families cannot afford school shoes . This means walking to school barefoot , often in extreme heat or cold , and over long distances , and they sometimes also face teasing from other kids . Another big problem that many young girls face is not having access to sanitary products , meaning they feel too embarrassed or uncomfortable to attend class during their menstruation , thus losing valuable school time each month .

Doing something about these problems is what spurred on brothers Themba ( 36 ) and Lennox Mathebula ( 42 ) to tackle the ‘ 450km Run 4 School Shoes and Sanitary Towels Challenge ’ in December , running from Themba ’ s current home city of Centurion in Gauteng , to their hometown of Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga , where Lennox is still based while working in and around the Kruger National Park . It was Themba who came up with the concept , and he explained his motivation in his write-up on the campaign ’ s backabuddy page .

heard somebody say : “ Look at this guy smiling after all these kilometres . Hey Lennox , are you mad ?”

Lennox also recounts that he has done three trips down to Cape Town to run the Two Oceans Marathon , and has been most appreciative of all the help he received , thanks in large part to his work . “ Working as a guide gives you the opportunity of connecting , of networking , and of more opportunity in life . So , in all the Two Oceans I ran , I didn ’ t spend even a cent , because I had made friends that transported me , and accommodated me . So , to me , that ’ s the biggest bonus ever that I got through guiding , and with Themba ’ s run , I said I would put it out to my friends , to ask for support . A few weeks before the run , I was speaking to a friend in London , and I said Themba , look at this question , my friend is asking what is your fundraising target ? So Themba tells me his target , and I laughed , telling him , hey , Baba , we need to aim higher , because if my friend asks me like this , he might individually cover it all !”

Images : Action Photo SA & courtesy Lennox Mathebula

“ I started running in 2015 to help me lose excess weight and lead a healthy lifestyle . One day , while running it hit me that my running shoes enabled me to run comfortably and finish a race , but without shoes , even a young schoolboy or girl with dreams will not be able to move forward . Research also shows that underprivileged girls can miss up to 50 days of school per year due to lack of access to adequate feminine hygiene !” wrote Themba .

“ So , for 12 days from 4 to 15 December , I will run 450km to raise funds for young boys and girls who cannot afford school shoes and sanitary towels . The campaign aims to provide at least 400 children with new pairs of school shoes , empowering them to go back to school with confidence , and to provide at least 50 young girls with a year ’ s supply of sanitary towels , ensuring that they stay in school for a year . Our fundraising target is R60,000 , of which R50 000 will go towards purchasing school shoes , and R10 000 towards providing sanitary towels .”

Enjoying His Running

Of course , when Themba told Lennox about the run , his brother immediately said he was in . Both have a fair amount of running under their belts , with Lennox having completed the Comrades Marathon three times from 2008 to 2010 , with a best of 8:47:54 , and Themba adding another Comrades medal to the family haul in 2019 . “ My aim is to do 10 , so they can give me that permanent number . I know after running Comrades , you stop and say , I won ’ t do this again , because I ’ ve damaged my body , but after a day you want to come to Comrades again . So , I still have seven to go , and I would like to have at least one silver medal in there ,” says Lennox .

Lennox and his famous hat tackling the Comrades Marathon

identify me .” However , even before he began wearing the hat , he says his smile caught the attention of fellow runners and spectators , notably in his first Comrades , the Up Run in 2008 . “ I didn ’ t know the road , so when I got to Polly Shortts , I saw many people walking up the hill , but I still had a bit of energy , so I was still running . I was asking myself why these people were all walking here , but when I found out it was the last hill to get into the stadium , I was just so happy . Now the spectators along the road would read our names off our race numbers , and I

Always popular with visitors to Kruger National Park

On a related note , Lennox has been doing his own community-based projects for several years , notably through his other sporting passion , soccer . For example , he has organised several youth soccer tournaments in and around Bushbuckridge , with support from corporate and individual donors to pay for not only trophies and medals , but also playing kits and soccer balls as prizes . “ Some of the friends I made through guiding suggested I start a small fundraising NPO in 2012 , and I named it Xidlulu Foundation . A Xidlulu is a termite hill , and if you go on a bush walk with me , I explain that there are many things living on or near the termite hill , in peace and harmony . I want to make a difference , and these guests who have become friends are helping me do that .”

Getting the Show on the Road

So , on 4 December , the great running adventure began , with the two brothers accompanied by a big group of running friends as they departed Centurion

Lennox usually runs with a yellow jester hat , which he says was a present from a fellow runner some years ago . “ I like wearing it , because people say I look like a joker , always smiling or laughing , and that is how people

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