Dutch Runners Raise Funds for African Schools

Since 2004, when Run4Schools was founded by Leslie Pangemanan, it has raised funds for the South African township of Mitchell Plains. This year, with the help of 52 Dutch runners, Run4Schools raised 68,000 euros (around 800,000 rands) for Mitchell Plains schools. The runners ran in the 2013 Two Oceans Marathon, the 9th time that the organization has joined the ultra-marathon.

Two Oceans Marathon

Two Oceans Marathon is a 56-kilometer ultramarathon and a half-marathon event. It is an annual event which was first held in 1970. The women’s event was first ran in 1975. The half-marathon was first held in 1998. Participants come from all over the world to join what is considered as the most beautiful marathon in the world.

In 2004, Leslie Pangemanan first ran the Two Oceans Marathon as a means to raise funds for the Mitchell Plains schools. The Run4Schools foundation has raised more than a million rands in funds for schools. The funds go to four schools which the organization has committed to help. The organization helps schools with their after-school hours care and programs. Run4Schools funds four schools, with a total of 2,500 to 3,000 students. The organization also funds feeding programs in several schools.

On top of ongoing programs, three other schools have been beneficiaries of artificial turf fields, worth approximately 60,000 euros each.

Run4Schools Fund Raising

Besides the Two Oceans Marathon, the Run4Schools also runs marathons and the “Run for Letters,” a fund-raising running race for Mitchell Plains township schools. Mitchell Plains is the fourth largest township in South Africa. It was created in 1975 as a middle-income residential area for blacks during the era of apartheid. During recent years, some portions of the township have degenerated due to neighborhood violence, poverty, and drug use.

Ultimately, Pangemanan plans to create an athletics facility in Mitchells Plains for the students to train and as a sports venue for the schools.