The Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club (SCARC), is today taking part in the Dusi Canoe Marathon in Kwazulu Natal, which is arguably one of the world’s most prestigious canoe/ kayak races, held between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. The club has entered six teams of two in the competition and is confident that it will pick up some podium positions especially in the younger age groups.

The marathon is run along the Msunduzi River, which is more commonly referred to as the Dusi (or Duzi) river. This year’s event is expected to attract about 10 000 people, with about 40% of them being paddlers.

The first day is a 45 km challenge, which includes 15 km of portaging with the canoe, day two has a shorter portaging sections, but is also 45 km and ends with a 10 km stretch on flat water on the Inanda Dam. Day three is 35 km of clean cold water let out from the dam.

SCARC, a non profit organisation that receives assistance from Business Connexion as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, places a premium on the role and value of education in overcoming poverty. Business Connexion believes a rounded approach is necessary to give the less privileged better opportunities in life and this includes physical activity and the discipline and reward which is learned through sports.

It is for this reason that the company is an involved supporter of SCARC, an initiative that introduces children to the world of watersports which is all too often the preserve of the privileged.

According to Arnold Beyleveld, Corporate Social Investment (CSI) manager at Business Connexion, some three quarters of the company’s CSR budget is invested into education. “However, while this remains pivotal and the key focus of our social efforts, the saying ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ applies. Sport is about more than physical learning and ability. It also teaches teamwork, co-operation, discipline and reward.”

Established in 2003, SCARC has as its ethos ‘empowerment and growth through sport’. The club confirms that it aims to not only teach residents of Soweto how to swim and participate in water sports, but also to develop crucial life skills that will stand them in good stead as they become economically active in their chosen fields.

“SCARC has quickly become one of the major development forces for canoeing in South Africa, giving disadvantaged people the opportunity to participate in the sport at both a social and competitive level,” it says.

To date, SCARC says over 300 children have become involved with the club since its inception. “What is perhaps most rewarding is that we have seen amazing growth and results in each individual. From competing and winning at races around the country and the world, to embarking on professional career paths, we are constantly reminded of the potential each child holds, despite marginalised situations.”

The support of companies like Business Connexion is invaluable in allowing the organisation to achieve its goals. And those goals don’t stop when the canoes come out of the water. The club explains: “Recently we have extended the programmes on offer to include mentorship, career guidance and have introduced a feeding scheme.”

Dovetailing with Business Connexion’s firm vision of the necessity for learning as the path to a better future, and recognising the deficiencies in good instruction which face many underprivileged children, SCARC has even expanded into education. “Activities to date include the creation of an academic database per member, aptitude testing and English studies,” says the club.

Notably, SCARC says its core focus not sport. “Rather, with sport as a component and an activity which brings people together, we are helping to foster discipline and a goal-setting culture,” it notes.

Beyleveld says participation in sport addresses developmental needs and is an essential component in becoming a well-rounded individual. “Through SCARC and other initiatives like it, underprivileged children are given an increased chance of becoming economically active and valuable participants in society,” he notes.

“As a company, Business Connexion believes a holistic approach to social development is necessary. That approach should include a focus on the academic and the physical and mental wellbeing of the underprivileged – and we challenge other successful South African companies to get more involved to help build a better future for us all.”