Lesotho Sky gives back to community

By: Lilemo Matlotlo

The manager of Trust For Africa (TFA) children’s home has revealed to Lesotho Sports Blizz that Lesotho Sky is not just an ordinary cycling competition but it brings togetherness experience and raise funds for local charities.

Through telephonic interview with Ms. Naomi Schalm earlier today, she said Lesotho Sky is a sport which unites local and international riders in order to have a great experience which resulting in sustaining local charities.

She also added that Lesotho Sky League campaign gives foreign riders an opportunity to learn about Lesotho.

“It’s a very good experience for people from all over the world to come and learn about Lesotho and ride to the country side. They really see Lesotho,” Naomi continues.

“It’s a great experience but not only for foreigners because all top six riders are Basotho. It’s a great experience for foreigners and Basotho because they get exposure,” she said.

She explained that each evening riders sit together and have supper, talk about the previous and the following days.

“It is a very commune experience. When they arrived they did not know each other, but when they depart they will be too close to each other,” she said.

Naomi said she is attending Lesotho Sky cycling event because TFA is chosen as a local charity that Lesotho Sky is intended to support by raising funds.

She explained that the riders do funny things each night after they have had supper and they discuss about the day.

“If somebody did something funny like forgetting their jersey somewhere or they took a wrong route, they fine them and pay M100 for that.

“That money goes to the local charity and this year the local charity is Trust For Africa, but I think in different times they have helped different organizations,” she clarified.

Naomi added that in 2015 riders saw a fallen roof of one school in Malealea because of heavy rains and they didn’t feel good about it.

“They decided to raise money and put the roof back on the school,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, in exclusive interview with Alliance Insurance Company marketing manager Ms. Limakatso Mokobocho said Lesotho Sky is doing Mountain biking which gives Basotho riders a platform to show case their cycling talents.

She explained that they sponsor Lesotho Sky competition cycling purposely to develop local riders which can compete in the international sphere.

Mokobocho added that this far Lesotho Sky cycling has improved local riders, because it was previously used to be won by foreign riders. Recently Basotho have been winning which is a great achievement.

She went on to say that they also sponsor African Dream Team which is participating in Lesotho Sky.

The team is representing Lesotho in African and World Championship competitions.

“This is giving them (African Dream Team) confidence. It surprises lot of people sometimes, because they become the only African country participating in the World Championship,” she said.

She concluded that Lesotho Sky competition contributes in tourism development, because it invites international riders to Lesotho. She indicated that while they are in Lesotho they use Basotho’s houses for accommodation and buy their products as the way of growing businesses in the country.