What is the Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge?

Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge is an annual mountain bike event. 2023 will be our 11^th annual challenge that is hosted in mountains and valleys of Eswatini surrounding Ngwenya Glass, on the 8^th of July 2023.

The motivation for the Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge

CHESHIRE HOMES ESWATINI

Cheshire Homes Eswatini, established in 1986, is the only rehabilitations centre for adults and children in the country. It is a registered non-governmental and non-profit making organization. Relying solely on donations and fund raising efforts, Cheshire Homes of Eswatini provides vital rehabilitative services to hundreds of people. Their work is encapsulated in their mission of providing comprehensive rehabilitative services which are accessible, appropriate and affordable to all people with a disability. 

LIVING WITH A DISABILITY IN ESWATINI. 

It is estimated there are more than 115 000 people living with a disability in Eswatini, or about 10% of the total population. This figure continues to increase due to the incidence of chronic disease, injuries, car crashes and violence. The situation is further compromised by Eswatini having one of the highest HIV rates in the world. 

Living with a disability in Eswatini presents significant challenges. There is a general belief that those who have a disability are bewitched or inflicted by bad spirits. Many believe threat being around people with disability can bring bad luck. As a result, many people with disabilities are hidden in their homesteads and are not given an opportunity to participate and contribute to society.

Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge Route

The Route is a 25km 100% ridable, loop of foot paths, Cattle Tracks, Jeep tracks and dirt roads between the Malalotja Game Reserve and the Motshane and Nkaba Valleys

The 25km Family Ride 

The 25km route consists of 1 loop of the route and is suitable to the weekend warrior and relatively fit family

The 50km Classic

The 50km consists of 2 loops of the 25km route and is ideal for the fit, fun focused cyclists. 

75km Marathon

This 75km route consists of 3 laps of the 25km route – not for the faint-hearted or weak legged!

Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Cheshire Homes 

• The Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge has identified Cheshire Homes Eswatini as our charity of choice to support. We will be looking into the needs of Cheshire Homes and identifying projects we can assist with.
• Ngwenya Glass donated E50 000.00 from the proceeds of the 2016 MTB Challenge to Cheshire Homes, and would like to ensure this is exceeded for 2017. 

Profits from the Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge will be used to develop community projects in the Motshane Valley.

Projects Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge has initiated within the community that are going to be continued:

• Construction of ablution facilities at the Motshane Community Clinic.
• The construction and repair of foot bridges across some of the rivers in the Motshane Valley.
• Maintenance of the incinerator at the Motshane clinic.
• Ngwenya Glass has sponsored 30 mountain bikes to some of their staff that live within a 15km radius of the factory. This is a good way to stay fit and healthy; some employees have expressed interest in training for other local mountain bike races. The team now regularly enters events in Eswatini.

Online Entries

Ngwenya Glass Mountain Bike Challenge will be using an online system built by our IT department, specifically for events in Eswatini: