It has been one full year since the 2023 Flagship Ride that saw us travel the scenic Western Cape Province, and it was finally that time of the year again — it’s time for the 2024 Flagship Ride! Originally the plan was to visit the hot and humid province of KZN, but a few unexpected things took place that altered this year’s geographical location. We would now be heading to the even hotter Royal Bafokeng Nation in the North West.
The organizers of Cancervive were approached with a sense of desperation by a doctor who found the cancer stats in the area alarming with it only being 1% of the population. Some of you may think this is great news, but it’s quite the opposite. Based on general cancer stats it would be impossible for only 1% of cancer to be present which would mean two things; either people are not aware that they are dying of cancer or they are too frightened to speak up about it. Of course, this is exactly what the organization Cancervive is all about, so Royal Bafokeng Nation it was then…
This year the theme of the ride was Rooted In Resilience, reflecting the challenges they had to encounter to make the ride through the ‘RBN’ a success. For those who don’t know, ‘RBN’ is the homeland of the Bafokeng people, a Setswana-speaking traditional community, ruled by Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi. Over the course of our 8-day journey, we would travel through the various villages spreading awareness and education around cancer.
We started our trip at Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, with excitement for the ride beaming as everyone arrived at the Capital Hotel. It was hugging all around as some of us hadn’t seen each other since last year’s ride. After the greetings and our introduction meeting, we headed down to the statue situated in front of Lucky Bread Co. where we saw vibrant Cancervive-inspired paint and brushes setup. We had the honour of repainting the statue in the famous pink, purple and blue colours! Of course, these activities are always filled with laughter as the Cancervivers jokingly embarked on transforming the statue into a colourful art piece. They would all write their name across the surface the next morning before we set off on this all-too-new journey.
It’s true that we would not be going anywhere if it wasn’t for the invaluable sponsor which is Suzuki. Not only is it their second year as the transport sponsor, but they have upped their game by adding two 5-door Jimnys to the fleet! Once again, a huge thanks to the team for your unwavering support.
After a MySpar activation in the morning, the bikes and cars were lined up and ready to go with family and friends gathered around to wish everyone a safe trip. The next 7-days would consist of EduShows, activation, care sessions and the launch of the latest addition to the Cancervive awareness initiative. Due to the huge lack of knowledge about cancer, we knew that we would be facing crowds that might not receive the message that we spread, however, we also knew that it was the perfect opportunity to make the greatest impact.
So, we were off, making our way to our first stop — Dr George Mukhari Hospital. Creating hope and offering support to cancer patients is at the heart of every Cancervivor, and it’s no different in 2024. We had 175 oncology patients to see, and with the donations from Astral Cares & Goldi Chicken, we were able to give each and every one of them a gift as we provided space for them to connect with people who have been fighting similar battles. Something that will never change is the realization of how important it is to celebrate life and the impact that we can have on one another.
After arriving at Kedar Lodge we had a small break before attending an educational evening of the history, traditions and protocols presented by the history and culture specialist of the Royal Bafokeng Nation. It was important for us to have insight into these factors before heading into the communities in order to ensure that we would maximise the effect of our approach in this uncharted territory.
Our largest event of the trip would be the community event at Luca Sports Facility where we would educate the members of ‘RBN’ on the importance of early detection and how it can save lives, as well as debunk the myths and stigmas around cancer which is so evident in many communities. This would also be the official launch of Thuto, South Africa’s first cancer chatbot. “Thuto” means education and this chatbot will provide millions of individuals the opportunity to have cancer awareness and education at their fingertips. I believe this will be the ultimate platform to get information to people that we would otherwise never reach. While at the stadium the local dancers also showcased their traditional dancing routines.
Last year we visited all the wine and apple farms, this year it would be the mines. Since miners head down the shafts as early as 6:00 AM we needed to reach them before that happens resulting in us hopping on the bikes and in the cars at 4:00 AM sharp! The things we do to ensure that we reach people from all walks of life… Two days straight was tough and it certainly highlighted the theme of being rooted in resilience. It was an incredible experience to see how uneducated yet curious the people were which only added to the notion of how important it was for us to visit this area.
Apart from the mines we also visited various schools, community centres and hospitals ensuring that we made the greatest impact with every EduShow and care session we did, including educating health care workers. One community project that stood out to me was the “Oros & Paint” session at the Godisanang Youth Centre which focuses on providing support and care for orphaned children. These individuals work tirelessly to ensure that the children have a bright future ahead of them, and we had the privilege of spending an afternoon with them as they expressed their creativity through painting.
It’s no secret that the flagship ride takes its toll on every Cancervive member, not only physically but emotionally as well. It remains important to sit down, become quiet and create space for your own emotions. This brings us to the reflecting ceremony. Part of the ‘RBN’ traditions is public meetings which are called “kgotla” in which members will sit in a big circle as they discuss matters of the community. In honour of the tradition, we too assembled in a circle as we took the time to reflect on the ride and wrote down any emotions or thoughts that might have built up throughout the trip. We were asked to write a letter to ourselves and to dedicate a lily to a loved one.
After our reflection ceremony, we gathered and drove down in a convey to one of the local wetlands found on the Kedar Lodge Game Farm where we were each given a lily to plant. With the sun setting on the horizon, it created a warm orange glow over the valley. I looked around, watching everyone planting the lilies; each dedicated to someone they have lost. There was both laughter and tears combined as people moved through the emotions connected to the healing process. It amazes me every time how these beautiful people, regardless of the difficulties that they face throughout the year, show up and dedicate their lives to make a difference.
It certainly was a tough ride, but in the end, everyone remembered what they were there for and showed unwavering resilience; pushing through the long hot days and challenges we faced. We reached 15,530 people over the 8 days, and Thuto has already had 872 in-depth engagements, which include 168 cancer-related questions. Not only am I proud of every Cancervivor, but I am also proud to be part of being the difference we want to see.
I look forward to what the 2025 Flagship Ride has in store and where it will take us next. May everyone involved in Cancervive continue to take the resilience you showed into this next year as you set out to change lives.
For more information, visit Cancervive. To access Thuto, save this number: 010 442 5324 and WhatsApp “Hi.”
