DUBLIN TO KWANOKATHULA

The JK Harriers Dublin Marathoners, whose coach is the renowned athlete and coach Jerry Kiernan, are attempting to run the distance and between UCD, where they train, and Kwanokathula in South Africa, a whopping 14,321 km in the 100 days leading up to the Dublin Marathon on October 27th, 2019! Our aim is to raise one euro for every kilometre. Every euro raised will go directly towards the building of a playground and other recreational activities in the township of Kwanokathula in South Africa, and help the progress of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the young children there.


THORNTON TRUST Funding Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the Township of Kwanokathula, SA
 
In 2008 Peter and Eleanor Thornton set up an Irish Trust Fund to progress Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the Township of Kwanokathula, which is located outside Plettenberg Bay, which is halfway between Cape Town & Port Elizabeth.

In South Africa 60% of the population are under the age of 25 & there is 47% unemployment among the 25 year olds in the Townships. Boys & girls need to get Early Childhood Education (pre-school) if they are to progress from Primary to Secondary & Third level Education.

In Kwanokathula the main children’s creche is Lumen Criste, which caters for about 120 children aged from 3 to 6 year old.
In 2009 Barry Thornton Ran the Dublin City Triathlon and the funds raised were used to build a library in Lumen Criste, and his brother Andrew supplied the books.The library is now called “The Barry Thornton &Friends from Ireland Library”.

The Irish Trust works with an NGO called Grassroots whose function is to encourage Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the townships.

The concept is to develop more creches in the area surrounding Lumen Criste by identifying locations that could be converted into creches & the Ladies running these Home Based creches would be trained by Grassroots to run these creches.

In 20013 Barry ran the Connemara Ultra Marathon, and the funds raised at that time were used to upgrade the HB Creches until they were ready to apply for the Government Subsidy.

This March, we completed the applications for four HB creches:
- Mona (30 children)
- Baby Eagles (29 children)
- New Life Centre (86 children)
- Singata (30 children).

This will bring the enlarged creche numbers up to about 300.

This subsidy is essential for the running of the Creches( It comprises 80% of Lumen Cristes income.