Adventure and endurance, the two often go together. When they are combined to raise money to help others it’s especially fulfilling.
Read on to discover how a group of older cyclists are having an amazing adventure of endurance and doing something to help pensioners in Zimbabwe
The plight of older people in Zimbabwe, especially farmers who were illegally forced off our farms is not well publicised. For Western governments and media to acknowledge the injustice would be to expose the errors of their former strategies of supporting evil African dictators like Robert Mugabe. The illegal and brutal farm invasions that started back in 2000 were the start of an adventure many of us would happily have avoided. The after effects of those events have tested our endurance more than we could have imagined.
A New Adventure
I and many other former farmers were lucky that by accident of birth place or parentage, we had access to passports of other countries that enabled us to leave Zimbabwe. A few had accumulated assets overseas and have been able to live relatively comfortable lives in Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Others, myself included, have emigrated with few or no assets and although safe are by no means comfortable or financially secure. I am grateful that living in Canada, I am safe, have a roof over my head and enough to eat. It is reassuring to know that serious medical issues will be treated quickly and effectively without costing me a fortune.
However, I have not lived in Canada long enough to contribute much to a pension scheme and it is not possible to survive on the basic old age pension. The reality is that instead of being retired at almost 69, I have to generate an income and will probably have to continue to do so for the rest of my life.
Despite the precarious financial situations many of us are in, those who were able to leave, are still better off than many of our friends and former colleagues who were unable to leave and are still trapped in Zimbabwe or South Africa. Inflation and crime are rampant in both countries. The cost of fuel and most basic groceries in Zimbabwe is many times higher than in Canada. The devaluation of the South African currency to less than 10% of its former value and the absence of any form of social security safety net in both countries makes life for retired people very difficult. You can read about our experience here
It’s good to know that some people are trying to help. A group of middle-aged and older cyclists are riding 2900 km from Harare in Zimbabwe to Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for pensioners in Zimbabwe.
The oldest rider is my age, 68, they ride up to 120 km a day, read about their adventure on their website, the old legs tour Share on XThat’s certainly a test of endurance and a great way to help others. Reading their blog gave me a sense of the adventure they are experiencing.
The Population Explosion Myth
In February 2019 I wrote this post about how the accepted prediction of population growth could be wrong. There is more evidence to support the idea that the global population will stabilise in the near future then go into decline.
This report by the CDC as quoted in a National Association of Home Builders article shows that in 2018 the number of babies born in the USA fell to the lowest in 32 years. Only two states, Utah and South Dakota had birthrates at the level needed to maintain the population.
This has serious implications for many industrial and commercial sectors particularly new home construction and property development. What’s the point of converting large acreages of farmland to housing if the houses are going to stand empty in a few years time?
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