About Songo
History of the Songo.info Project by Christoph Sauser
How can I find a strong partner for the Cape Epic? A very difficult one, since the race organization only allows racers to partner up in the same race clothing? So, can I find a top rider who can race in Specialized gear for this race only? It’s difficult to find a rider at this level who is free from such contracts!
This question was in my head for days, and I could not find a solution, until I got this idea late one night: lets ride for charity, or even better lets do our own charity! Thanks to Specialized who were supportive of the idea, I managed to partner up with the then South African GT Rider Burry Stander. The beauty with this idea is that we could both race in neutral clothing specific to charity.
The big problem was down, but now it was already very close to the race and the whole charity theme and goals had to be established. Enter Ruth Bird. In Ruth, I found the very best partner to get everything together. We definitely wanted to raise money and support something local, since Stellenbosch, an area I have visited for training since 1997 was very close to my heart. At an ABSA Bank dinner, by coincidence we met Songo Fipaza and heard of the need for sport in the Kayamandi township of Stellenbosch. Songo mentioned the need for a BMX facility. With the name Songo, also came the name for the charity!!
It may sound easy, but there were big steps we had to go through. Organizing anything like this is not simple! Luckily with the JAG foundation we found a good charity partner who were already established with the mighty meters running program in Kayamandi & had recognition throughout South Africa. Their infrastructure and man power was and still is a great benefit, coupled with former South African MTB Olympian Erica Green, who helped so much with the building of the bmx track. She guided the diggers around perfectly!
Within four months from it’s conception to implementation, we raised enough money to build a BMX Track and associated program …. Not bad! Now we are on project 2 for 2009. Creating a cycling club through the Cycling4Kayamandi program.
Fast forward to mid 2009 and the Cycling4Kayamandi project is up and running and beginning to make waves wherever they show up to race. With 25 Specialized Rockhopper and Stumpjumper hardtail mountain bikes at their disposal Songo and the kids have been training and racing local events which include duathlons, multisport races and showing the mountain bike communitywhat they are all about!
“A bike can change a life ….. it changed mine!”
Christoph Sauser Mountain Bike World Champion
What is Songo.info: The Songo.info initiative is named after Songo Fipaza, a gentleman
& leader for change in Kayamandi, a township located in the winelands of Cape Town.
The aim of Songo.info is to impact children of Kayamandi via sport and education.
Who is behind Songo.info: Christoph Sauser (www.sauserwind.com), Specialized
Bicycles (www.specialized.com), the JAG Sports and Education Foundation
(www.jagfoundation.com) & friends
Why: Kids in townships have very limited opportunities for education and play. Sport
crosses these barriers and broadens kids life skills, keeping them away from the path of
drugs and crime.
When: In 2008 Songo.info, in partnership with the Pedal Power Association successfully
fundraised and developed a BMX Track in the Kayamandi Township. In 2009 we want to
maintain and deliver on our long-term commitment to these children through the
“cycling4kayamandi” project.
What is “Cycling4Kayamandi”: The provision of both road and mountain bikes with the
end goal of establishing a cycling club in Kayamandi.
Outcome: The kids will learn valuable social skills, the importance of health and the
meaning of responsibility, by taking care of their bikes, working together as a team and
taking part in events.
Thanks for your generous donation!
„Ein Bike kann ein Leben verändern…. es tat meines!“
Christoph Sauser Mountain Bike Weltmeister
Was ist Songo.info: Die Songo.info initiative ist benannt nach Songo Fipaza, ein
Ehrenmann und Vorreiter für Veränderung in Kayamandi, einem Township nahe Kapstadt in Südafrika. Das Ziel von Songo.info ist diesen unterprivilegierten Kids Sport und Bildung auf den Weg zu geben.
Wer steht hinter Songo.info: Christoph Sauser (www.sauserwind.com), Specialized
Bicycles (www.specialized.com) Die JAG Sport und Bildungs Hilfsorganisation (www.jagfoundation.com) & Freunde
Wieso: Kids in Townships haben sehr limitierte Möglichkeiten für Bildung und Spiel. Dank dem Sport werden „Berge versetzt“ und ist eine geniale Lebensschule, welche die Kids von der Strasse bringt, dem Nährboden von Drogen und Gewalt.
Wann: Songo.info, zusammen mit Pedal Power Association und JAG hat im 2008 genügend Mittel gesammelt, um eine BMX Anlage mit der dazugehörenden Infrastruktur aufzubauen. Im 2009 soll die Nachhaltigkeit des Projekts sichergestellt werden, damit der Traum „Cycling4Kayamandi“ Realisiert werden kann.
Was ist „Cycling4Kayamandi“: Die Bereitstellung von Mountain Bikes mit dem dazugehörendem Material, mit dem Endziel einen Bike Club in Kayamandi zu gründen.
Outcome: Die Kids lernen wertvolles Sozialverhalten, die Wichtigkeit der eigenen Gesundheit kennen, plus Verantwortungsbewusstsein beim Warten der Bikes. Dazu soll die Teamfähigkeit geschult werden, und natürlich Spass zu haben!
Herzlichen Dank für Ihre Spende!
„Le vélo peut changer la vie..il a change la mienne!“
Christoph Sauser.Champion du monde de VTT
Quʼest ce que cʼest Songo.info: Lʼinitiative Songo.info a pris son nom de Songo Fipaza, homme comme il faut et meneur de changement a Kayamandi, une ville située auprès les vignobles de Cape Town. Le but de Songo.info est dʼexercer une influence positive sur les enfants a travers le sport et lʼéducation.
Qui est derrière Songo.info: Christophe Sauser (www.sauserwind.com) Specialized Bicycles (www.specialized.com) La Fondation JAG Sports and Education (www.jagfoundation.com) et des amis.
Pourquoi: Les enfants des communes ont des opportunités dʼéducation et de jeu très limités. Le sport peut franchir ces barrières et élargir les horizons de vie des enfants, les tenant éloigné du chemin de la drogue et du crime.
Quand: En 2008 Songo.info associé avec le ʻPedal Power Associationʼ a procuré, avec succès, des fonds pour lʼaménagement dʼune piste de BMX dans la commune de Kayamandi. En 2009 nous souhaitons maintenir notre engagement envers ces enfants a travers le projet « cycling4kayamandi »
Quʼest ce que cʼest „Cycling4Kayamandi“: La fourniture de vélos pour la route et pour la montagne avec le but final dʼétablir un société de vélo a Kayamandi
Le résultat: Les enfants apprendront le savoir- être, lʼimportance de la santé et le sens de la responsabilité en prenant soin de leurs vélos, en travaillant ensemble faisant part dʼune équipe, et en participant a des événements.
Merci beaucoup pour votre donation!
History of Songo.info by Songo Fipaza
My name is Songo Fipaza and I was born in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch in 1975.
I have started school in Port Elizabeth grade 1 and 2 , then came back in Kayamandi to complete my school years.
I am the eldest kid and we are 10 in total.
I have learned to take a responsibility to look after my brother and sister at the age of 7, to make sure that they eat and wash. My mom was working in a restaurant from 15:00 to 23:00.
I grow up with playing soccer for Mighty Five Stars and became the captain under 10 , and remained the captain for the next 6 years.
I enjoyed all kind of sport, since I was 10 years old and every time when there was some sport on television I would watch it.
In 1992 I watch the Olympics in Barcelona on television every day until the end of the Olympics.
One night my family and I watched Elana Meyer running the 10 000m in the Olympics and she was running against Tulu.
I was very happy to see her coming back with the silver medal from the Olympics and from then I started dreaming about taking part in the Olympics one.
A week after the Olympics I went to Stellenbosch Athletics to join the club and I was asked to bring a letter from school.
I went back to my head master and I ask him to write me a letter I want to join Stellenbosch Athletics and he told me that they won’t accept because I am black; but ask him to write it anyway so he did.
I month later after I joined the Stellenbosch Athletics I have met Elana and Michael Meyer.
Two months later I joined their training group and I have trained with them for 12 years and today I am also working with Elana and the JAG Foundation and we doing the best that we can to make sure that there will be kids that will have the chance to go the Olympics perhaps bring back a gold medal for South Africa.
In 2004 I did the Cape Epic, an 8 stage Mountain Bike race, which was my first mountain bike experience
I fell in love with the sport and now I have finished 3 Cape Epics and I am going to do my 4th one this year.
I have met Christoph Sauser last year on the ABSA dinner as were talking about the township and the dream to have a BMX track in Kayamandi for the kids to have a safe place to ride and play and immediately he say that is the project I want to ride for.
It has been my dream to introduce kids to all the sporting code that I did not get the opportunity to do when I was young.
Those are sport like swimming; tennis; cycling; rowing; canoeing and many more.
One day I was riding with Erica Green, another mountain bike Olympian, in Jonkershoek and we were talking about all the challenges in the Township and we also talked about sport and drugs that was when we came up with the idea of having a BMX track.
From there I arranged a meeting with Elana, Erica and I and talk about it.
From there Christoph Sauser a world champ adopted the project and through the ABSA CAPE EPIC, PPA and other donors the dream became a reality.
Now we have a BMX track and it is used almost every day.
We have 96 kids that have signed in to become members and ravage 35 that are there everyday.
We have 40 bikes and no of the kids that own the bike they make turns to ride.
The project has been well received by parents and it is changing lives of the kids.
There are still more parents that are supporting us and bring the kids to come join the programme
We are also launching Cycle4Kayamandi a project geared towards the 16 year and older kids and start introducing them to the mountain biking and teach the about the environment.
We are also planning to build a club house next to the BMX track where kids can come and do their home school work and study there as well with peace and silence.
We are continuously looking for support to help us achieving our dreams and to give kids opportunities through sport.
