Mt. Kenya MTB Series

SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMMES

SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMMES

Mt Kenya MTB Series Youth Cycling Development Initiatives in partnership with the Safari Simbaz Trust.

Safari Simbaz Centre: Naro Moru River Lodge – establishment of the first cycling centre in the Naro Moru area.

The Safari Simbaz Trust was established by David Kinjah in 2008. The name Safari Simbaz denotes the journey that participants who are attached to the educational centre are encouraged to take with a Lion’s spirit: courageous, strong, determined and disciplined. These are the characteristics

that the centre seeks to impart.

 

The Naro Moru cycling centre will be a satellite of the main Kikuyu campus and will focus on teaching

both road and mountain biking skills, bicycle maintenance, fitness and conditioning. It will also provide some training on being a bicycle guide and riding instructor. Services provided by the centre and those they have trained will be available for the local tourist establishments and community to use on a commercial basis thereby establishing sustainability of the project for the future.

 

Aside from helping youth develop these life skills with a view to self-improvement, the centre is also a place through which youth with a particular talent are identified and nurtured to develop their pro-cycling skills. The existing center in Kikuyu offers various incubation programs under the mentorship of several pro-cycling specialists to develop this talent.

The centre will also be key to: 

  1. Providing support for the professional skill development workshop
  2. Facilitating access to equipment for development of the sport
  3. Assisting in training local clubs and schools and in structuring and coordinating regional competitions.
  4. Educating the youth on the various benefits and opportunities available through cycling and cycling-related businesses.

Funding raised for this program will go towards: –

  1. Purchase of a container and office/workshop fabrication
  2. Support for two youth trainers for a period of 12 months: allowance and accommodation
  3. Procurement of equipment required to furnish the centre: furniture, bikes, parts, tools, safety gear etc.
  4. Administrative costs: office communication, transport etc.
  5. Branding of the centre and the staff.

The organisers of the Mt. Kenya MTB Series together with Naro Moru River Lodge and the Safari Simbaz hope to garner the support of corporate sponsors to facilitate the replication of the Safari Simbaz success story beginning with these communities that are located around the Mt Kenya region.

This investment will have a unique impact on changing the lives of the riders by positively impacting themselves, their families and their communities as skilled riders, successful sportsmen and women, mentors and potential entrepreneurs.

Grassroots, regional cycling competitions

As part of the Africa Extreme/Safari Simbaz partnership, the Simbaz centre will be responsible for mobilization of schools and clubs to participate in three regional competitions annually. A separate sponsorship opportunity exists to support each of these competitions to cover;

  1. Marshalls, manpower
  2. Logistics
  3. Prizes for each event

Professional Development Workshop

This will be held at Naro Moru River Lodge immediately prior to the Naro Moru Trail Trial culminating in the race day.

The workshop consists of a three and half day workshop residential workshop which has been designed to equip upcoming riders with bother professional riding skills and soft skills to enhance their ability to be successful cycling professionals. The workshop also aims at empowering the participants to be able to sustain a living from the sport as professionals and also as trainers, as mechanics or as qualified tour leaders.

The workshop curriculum will include topics such as financial management, professional etiquette, personal motivation and management and nutrition for athletes conducted by various professionals in the respective fields in addition to practical cycling and bike mechanic skills conducted by members of the Safari Simbaz team led by Kenya most prolific rider; David Kinjah.

 

Sponsorship opportunities:

50, 000/-

100, 000/-

  1. Accommodation and meals
  2. Writing and other training materials
  3. Naro Moru Trail Trial and workshop participation fee
  1. 20 riders
  2. Trainers/facilitators
  3. Accommodation and materials
  4. Branding of the workshop
  5. T-shirts for all participants with corporate brand
  • Mountain Bike
  • Personal Tool Kit
  • Helmet

Sponsorship opportunities:

Riders that successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion.

 

Participation is open to riders and teams from across the country. Maximum participation will be capped at 25 riders for 2024.

 

The professional development workshop will take part alongside the Mt. Kenya MTB series in which we encourage most of the participants in the workshop to take part.

 

Through the Mt Kenya MTB Series we will provide a world class platform aimed at showcasing upcoming young, talented riders, linking them with an both an international audience and opportunities for a bright future.

 

Youth engaged with and trained through any of the sustainability programmes, both riders and cycling enthusiasts, will also form part of the future workforce that is required in the execution and management of the annual Mt. Kenya Epik events.

 

Corporate sponsorship of the teams or any of the youth development initiatives will see the sponsors

benefit indirectly by being engaged in the following: –

 

  • An opportunity for positive brand positioning of your products
  • An opportunity to diversify your audience and engage them in a unique setting
  • An opportunity to showcase your commitment to the advancement of local sport
  • An opportunity to be involved in conservation and promotion of this world heritage site.

 

In addition to contributing the establishment of cycling as a major sport and the development of gifted young Kenyan cyclists, we believe this platform will provide various opportunities for partners

and sponsors to help put Kenya on the map as a major cycling destination.

CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES

Africa Extreme is partnering with the following organisations as part of their commitment to running sustainable events and supporting various conservation programs that are working towards preserving the pristine habitats and environments in which all of our events take place.

Miti Alliance

Miti Alliance was founded in 2018 as a social enterprise in Kenya. Our drive to formation was inspired by late Prof. Wangari Mathaai’s legacy, whose passion to environment torched our vision to SUSTAIN LIFE through planting, growing and maintaining trees by Educating, Empowering and Sustaining the Environment. The soul and heartbeat of humanity is the people and resources that they use to live. Miti Alliance purposed to positively impact the environment for humanity to live in harmony with nature. Our goal is to plant 5 Million trees by 2025 to restore an imbalanced global ecosystem by taking urgent action to combat climate change and its negative impact: SDG13. “We chose to be the citizens that make the difference, however small, to make our environment sustainable.” Our mission: SUSTAIN LIFE through planting, growing and maintaining trees through Educating, Empowering and Sustaining the environment. Our Vision: Greening Kenya One Tree At A Time –To help achieve 10% forest cover in Kenya.

Venturing further afield into the area of conservation, Africa Extreme is in the process of forging a relationship with ACF to enhance our engagement in sustainable ecosystem management.

The Africa Conservancy Foundation (ACF)

ACF was established in 2017 and based in Kenya, is the authentic African organization providing thought leadership in solving existing and emerging conservation problems on the continent. While building a track record in delivering tangible outcomes, it will be the trusted and respected partner of funding organizations and philanthropists wishing to be part of the rapidly expanding conservancy movement across the region. ACF seeks to find creative and innovative approaches for attracting capital to secure space for nature engage people and implement programs that ensure sustainable natural resource management. ACF promotes conservancies’ sustainability by enabling, supporting, and motivating public and private land owners to set aside land for conservation and invest in good land/range land/land-based resources management. This is borne out of an undisputed realization that the viability of wildlife conservancies can only be achieved if the land investment translates into building equity on the part of the owners, and the difference between the value of the assets and liabilities remains positive or growing. Africa Extreme will be working with ACF to explore ways in which the organizers, participants, and partners can collaborate to achieve the foundation’s objectives.

For more information on how you can partner with us in giving towards these projects, please feel free to contact us.