Thank you to everyone who helped us make a difference in 2019!

It’s that time of the year when we reflect on the year gone by; the significant events, the highs and the lows. As Buffalo Foundation Trustees we have a great deal to be proud of and thankful for. We’re in complete awe of the charity’s volunteers, the wonderful staff who run our academies and the students who achieve so much both on and off the bike. And we’re immensely grateful for our Buffalo members and fundraisers whose donations and hard work make all of this possible!

Our Annual Report

We’re delighted to have published our first Annual Report looking back on 2018-19, our first year as a registered charity. Over the course of those 12 months we expanded our activities across South Africa and established new fundraising partnerships. Read more about our impact here. 

The academies

South Africa has the highest rate of youth unemployment in the world, a staggering 58.2%, and for many young people opportunities are extremely limited. The Buffalo Foundation is now working with three South African academies; Songezo, Kwano and Bonga. Our mission is to empower and uplift disadvantaged communities through access to sport and education, thereby creating better prospects for future employment and independence.

2019 was a particularly difficult year for our Songezo academy as fire and heavy flooding caused extensive damage to a nearby area in May. The Trustees personally donated funds towards housing materials to rebuild the community. The Foundation developed Songezo academy’s website which allows the academy to share news and accept donations to keep themselves going. In addition, new classroom facilities have been established and the academy received donations of books, computers and other equipment. The students have worked really hard and we’re thrilled that their exam results improved significantly.

The Foundation also built a new website for Bonga academy and continued its long-standing partnership with Kwano academy. Kwano student Phelo is an excellent example of how the academies help break down barriers. Prior to joining Kwano Phelo spoke hardly any English. Through working with a teacher funded by the Buffalo Foundation and the support of laptops provided via the Foundation, Phelo has been recognised as  one of the most improved learners and achieved a good level of English, which will hugely improve his career prospects.

Another Kwano success story is Siyabulela (Siya), who following his time with the academy, began studying Business Management at The University of the Western Cape. Siya is now also working regularly during his school holidays, gaining valuable experience. He is planning to work in IT when he completes his university degree next year.

In the media

We were very excited to get a mention in the Telegraph in July.  John MacLeary wrote a lovely article about the legendary David Bryant’s epic ride up the Tourmalet on his single-speed Qhubeka bike to fundraise for the Foundation. 

This summer there was also a lot of coverage of our amazing Kwano academy student Siphe Ncapayi in the South African media. 20 year old Siphe was crowned the overall U23 winner in the 500km London to Paris race. We’re so proud of him!

Other fundraising efforts

The Foundation is lucky to have some incredible ambassadors, including the inspirational endurance cyclist James Golding, who as a trustee, helps us steer our course as well as raise awareness and funds. During 2019 ultra runner John Stocker also did some fantastic fundraising by taking part in several challenging competitions. This included 615 mile long The Monarchs Way, which John completed in a record time of 287 hours, 30 minutes and 36 seconds, becoming the first British runner to win the race. In total John raised an astonishing ￡3,580. 

In addition, a huge thank you to Rainmaker’s CTO Chris Wilber for raising just over ￡1,300 by participating in the 7 day Rainmaker Rollercoaster gravel ride.

Want to get involved?

As we look forward to 2020, we’re dedicated to growing the Buffalo Foundation into a charity that makes a difference around the world. 

In order to continue funding our South African academies and start building programmes in the UK and elsewhere, we need additional support. Please go to the Buffalo Foundation website to find out more.

Last but not least, we’d like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

The Buffalo Foundation Board of Trustees:

Jan Joubert

Tim Hanley

Sven Thiele

James Golding