Our years of mountain biking in far-flung corners of the Kingdom have naturally created a romantic impression of these remote areas but it is important to remember that the very remoteness that is so appealing to us brings with it certain challenges for people living there.

We aim to make a positive impact on everyone and everything that we come into contact with during The LOGICO Swazi Frontier and all our preparation leading up to it.  Hopefully, our small efforts will help to make a difference to the communities we encounter along the way.

School Project 2010

The wheels of our social responsibility projects are still rolling. This year sees the launch of our most ambitious and sustainable project yet.

Together with our title sponsor LOGICO, we have visited and met with the head teachers of 3 primary schools along our race route so it goes without saying that all 3 schools are in remote parts of the Kingdom.  With the guidance and input of those head teachers, we have carried out a basic needs analysis for each school.

We were impressed by the commitment to providing education and related facilities for the children in spite of the lack of resources and basic amenities.  It is humbling to see how the local communities manage to make so much of so little.  Whilst the children’s basic needs are catered for to some extent on a basic level, this visit illustrated just how much we take for granted.  There is much that we can do to improve their conditions.

We have decided to pay special attention to the Lufafa Primary School on the banks of the Lomati River and at the base of the mighty Lufafa Mountain during 2010. It is situated a short distance before the water point on Day 2.

We have engaged a contractor who has prepared a drawing for a basic canteen structure which will comprise a simple kitchen, storeroom and shelter where the children may be protected from the weather whilst they eat.   For many of the children, their school meal is their only meal of the day.  The structure will also include water tanks to catch rain water.
The photo’s below show the very basic wooden shed that is currently used for cooking the children’s daily meal, which is eaten outside.

Thanks go to all our past riders who by entering The LOGICO Swazi Frontier have contributed to the upliftment of the lives of people in the communities along the race route.

Special thanks also goes to those riders who have made donations to assist us with our social responsibility projects over the years.

Thanks also to LOGICO for its commitment to our schools project and especially for its significant cash injection this year which has enabled us to assist the schools in a meaningful and sustainable way. 

We look forward to turning the soil on this project.

Swaziland Animal Welfare Society (“SAWS”) When mountain biking through some of Swaziland’s remotest parts, we have come across many animals in dire need of care and so we have included Swaziland Animal Welfare Society (“SAWS”) as a beneficiary of our social footprint. SAWS is a self-funded, non-profit making organization dedicated to promoting animal welfare in Swaziland.  It is run by a volunteer committee and minimal salaried staff who care for the rescued animals 24/7 at its bases in Mbabane and Manzini.

SAWS promotes education and awareness about animals: one of its main objectives is to encourage empathy with animals and so a change in attitude regarding their treatment.

Generally SAWS receives:

• unwanted animals, which are usually brought in by their owners;
• abandoned animals, often dumped from cars into the street or left behind in locked houses without food or water when the owner moves away;
• neglected or cruelly treated animals.  Where possible, the animals will be rehabilitated by giving food, shelter and affection so that they can be sterilised and vaccinated before being adopted into a suitable loving home. 

SAWS “Wish List”:

• to employ an Inspector to visit and check homes prior to and after adoption and also to advise existing owners how to improve the lives of their animals;
• funds to upgrade SAWS’ dilapidated cat and dogs pens which were built in the early 1960's and are now beyond restoration.  Ideally they need replacing but at the very least total renovation with new and proper foundations;
• a complete new drainage system;
• a new animal Hospital wing. 

Please assist us to help SAWS in any way you can which includes bringing along any unwanted items (books, jumble, bric-a-brac etc) to registration when you come to do The LOGICO Swazi Frontier and adding them to our SAWS donation box. As a result of donations from riders participating in The LOGICO Swazi Frontier 2010, we donated dog food, blankets, old clothes and other items to be sold to raise funds at SAWS annual fete.  The photograph on the right shows us handing over our donations to Penny Brickwell, the Kennel Master in Mbabane in November 2010.

Emotion Cycling sponsors 2 VOLCAN EX3 mountain bikes

We are proud of our African Heroes!  Africa has grown many outstanding endurance athletes.  Our runners, for instance, are legendary and rank amongst some of the best in the world.  Our African mountain bikers have much of that same endurance but are also touched with our uniquely African adventurous spirit. 

With its increasing popularity, we have seen great successes on the cycling scene, particularly over the last decade, with rapid improvements on both recreational and professional levels.  We have also enjoyed meteoric recognition of our ability to host world class sports events including mountain-biking.

This has produced a long list of African cycling heroes including David Kinjah, Davidson Kamau, Mannie Heymans, Burry Stander, Adrien Nyonshuti, Kevin Evans, Robbie Hunter, Siphiso Nlapho (BMX), Yolande Speedy, Greg Minaar (Downhill) and Justice Makhale.   Our heroes are great ambassadors for our sport and our continent. They are also outstanding role models to our communities, especially our youth.

Aidan Brown, Marketing Manager of Emotion Cycling, distributors of VOLCAN cycles and ELITE accessories, came to the mighty Kingdom of Swaziland in 2009 to participate in The LOGICO Swazi Frontier.  He experienced, in his words, “some of the best riding anywhere in the world” and was overwhelmed by the local communities.

“Swaziland has such a welcoming vibe, it is so receptive that the country feels like one big warm hug” says Brown “the people are helpful and inviting to the point where hospitality and making people feel welcome must be a national past-time!  The Swazi landscape is awe inspiring and makes for outstanding mountain biking with an immense biodiversity and ever-changing terrain.  You can ride a lifetime and not cover the same piece of track twice”.

Aware of the success of mountain biking elsewhere in Africa, it struck Brown that “with the kind of passion I found in Swaziland, it was clear that mountain biking could be embraced to bring about a positive impact on communities and people’s lives.”

It was clear to Brown that Swaziland needed its own heroes and Swaziland already had them.  Brown arranged for VOLCAN bicycles to sponsor 2 mountain bikes as well as a range of ELITE cycling accessories, which The LOGICO Swazi Frontier has allocated to Thulani Gule and Fana Mentani, our new African heroes from Swaziland.  Both with top 10 performances at the 2009 edition of The LOGICO Swazi Frontier, and many national podium finishes to their credit, Thulani and Fana have all the qualities of our heroes. 

“We are super proud of Thulani and Fana”, says Brown, “and we wish we could offer them as much as we know they will put back.  Good luck, keep the rubber side down and thanks for the inspiration!”
If you would like more information about VOLCAN mountain bikes and ELITE accessories, please contact either Aidan Brown (aidan@emotioncycling.co.za) or Dave Schemmel (dave@emotioncycling.co.za) both of Emotion Cycling.

2009

During 2009 The LOGICO Swazi Frontier has continued to strengthen its ties with the communities through which the race passes. A contribution has been made towards the Malolotja Nature Reserve (refer article snippet below), community members have been engaged to prepare new sections of the route and to maintain existing sections, contact with nominated schools has begun and a new talented local cyclist has been spotted.

Snippet from a newspaper article:

August 2009 - The LOGICO Swazi Frontier donates specialised equipment to Malolotja Nature Reserve

The organisers of The LOGICO Swazi Frontier, Brett Foss and Lesley Fitton, have made a donation of specialised equipment to the Law Enforcement department of the Malolotja Nature Reserve. The donated equipment includes GPS units, computer mapping software, back packs, tents, sleeping bags, binoculars, cooking utensils, first aid kits and other items that will be utilised by the Law Enforcement department.

‘We are very privileged to be able to cycle through the magnificent Malolotja Nature Reserve during The LOGICO Swazi Frontier. The 180 cyclists are able to cycle amongst the wildlife and to enjoy the scenic mountains and valleys of the reserve.’ commented race director Brett Foss.

The Director of Nature Conservation Mr. Wisdom Dlamini, said ‘We are very pleased to have the cyclists from South Africa and Swaziland coming back to Malolotja as this is in line with the objectives of the Transfrontier Conservation Areas initiative. The Logico Swazi Frontier has made a very generous contribution that will assist us in carrying out our function of Law Enforcement in the remote parts of Malolotja.’

‘The Malolotja Nature Reserve is a part of our heritage and we owe it to ourselves to do what we can to protect and preserve it. We trust that the Law Enforcement department will continue their good work and that this donation will help in their efforts.’ Foss added.

On behalf of the SNTC, Dlamini thanked the organisers for the donation and added that The LOGICO Swazi Frontier was also assisting Malolotja in improving the important relationships between the Reserve and its neighbouring communities.

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Community members of the Malanti Valley have been more that welcoming to The LOGICO Swazi Frontier and we hope that through our ongoing involvement in the area and our nomination of the Luhumuneni Primary School as a beneficiary that meaningful impact can be made on the people of this beautiful valley.

2009 has seen the emergence of a new talent on the local mountain biking scene in Swaziland. The LOGICO Swazi Frontier has been impressed by the soft spoken Fana Mentani from the lowveld of Swaziland. Fana has performed superbly on the local scene with wins and strong finishes during the 2009 season. We teamed him up with seasoned campaigner Menzi Tsela for The LOGICO Swazi Frontier 2009. They turned in a very respectable result being the first Swazi team home and breaking into the top ten to finish in 9th place overall. We look forward to watching these two progress during the 2010 season.

2008

Our community support has involved teaming up with our transport sponsor, Mbabane Motors, to rehabilitate and develop the water supply system to the village of Malandalahle which is nestled on the slopes of Emlembe Mountain above Bulembu Village, our day 1 overnight stop.
We have also reached out along the way by involving local people in route preparation and our daily bike wash facilities at each overnight venue.

The LOGICO Swazi Frontier is privileged to cycle through Malolotja Nature Reserve.  The rangers and staff at Malolotja have impressed us with their knowledge and enthusiasm for conservation and natural history.  Although they are the custodians of one of the most precious natural jewels in Swaziland, they operate with limited resources.  We wish to create awareness of their outstanding conservation efforts and we are supporting their endeavours by donating funds to purchase much-needed equipment for the anti poaching unit at Malolotja.

Our social footprint also reaches beyond the race route communities to include talented local cyclists who are venturing into the world of mountain biking.  We have sponsored the entries of talented local riders Thulani Gule, Ntokoza Mamba, Menzi Tsela and Carlos Malinga into various local one day bike races and also into The LOGICO Swazi Frontier.  We have also sponsored some of these guys’ entries to South African races including Sani2c and the 94.7 road and mtb races.  Aligned to this, we have also supported them with their related transport as well as bike repair and maintenance costs. Generous contributions of surplus cycling gear from the many ‘Friends of The LOGICO Swazi Frontier’ including cycling clothing, shoes, helmets, bike accessories and even bikes continue to overwhelm us.  We have distributed this kit amongst many enthusiastic local cyclists with a large portion being given to the newly formed local ‘Newcom Wheelz Cycling Club’. Going forward, we plan to expand our social footprint efforts and have identified 3 schools along our race route to focus on this coming year. These are Luhumuneni School (Day 1), Phophonyane School (Day 2) and Nginamadola School (Day 3).  The ground work for this is already happening and more will be disclosed on these plans in due course.