The Place of a Mercy and Hope continues to astound! Grand opening of Baby and Toddler Care Centre in Addo, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The Place of Mercy and Hope known for its mission for helping the poor in the Sunday’s River Valley, Eastern Cape, South Africa for the past 13 years opened its newest project, a Baby and Toddler Care centre. The Place of Mercy and Hope Baby and Toddler Care centre has capacity for caring for over twenty children (ages 0-3years) allowing parents to continue their daily work on orange farms knowing their children are in a safe and caring environment.

he Addo area, famous for the Addo Elephant Park, has Formal and informal settlements with many disadvantaged communities. For the past 13 years, the Place of Mercy and Hope has been helping these communities by providing a Creche, Pre School, Soup Kitchen, Adult Education Courses, a Clinic and assisting families obtain birth certificates, identity documents and social grants. Hundreds of children and adults are educated and helped annually.

The Place of Mercy and Hope not only helps communities but employs locals from the Addo area and provides educational development when funding is available. Currently, the Non-Profit Organisation has a staff of thirteen dedicated people that help the Place of Mercy and Hope achieve its mission. The Place of Mercy and Hope follows the ethos of the Marist Brothers and Sisters of Mercy, religious organizations who were responsible for founding the Place of Mercy and Hope.

Sr Martha, one of the Directors of the Place of Mercy and Hope, was thrilled to see a new division of the Place of Mercy and Hope become a reality and expressed his gratitude to a significant funder, Cape Span for making a dream possible.

To find out more about the Place of Mercy and Hope, you can visit their website www.placeofmercyandhope.com

Taking place May 31stto June 2nd2019, there are three options for teams entering the boutique trail run, both include access to exclusive trails that traverses the Addo/Zuurberg region, three stages and three nights accommodation, three delicious meals a day (excluding the bronze package, see below), race apparel, on course nutrition and all park and conservation fees. 

The platinum packagecosts R14,000 for a team of two staying in luxury hotel accommodation at the Zuurberg Mountain Village. The gold package costs R10,000 per team for accommodation at the race village in luxury tents and for those with their own accommodation the bronze package is R7,000 per team and includes three lunches.  

“The second NFB Great Zuurberg Trail Run will be start on May 31st2019 and will see the three-day exclusive trail run build on from last year’s,” remarks Siska ver der Bijl, Managing Director of Hayterdale Trails  and race director for the NFB Great Zuurberg Trail Run.  

About the race

A boutique event, the Great Zuurberg Trail Run takes participants through South Africa’s most majestic trails. The route includes exclusive tracks in the untamed wild of Addo, traverses the Zuurberg mountains, and crosses remote sections of SANParks’Addo Elephant National Park. Limited to 70 teams of two, the exclusive three-day trail run bases itself at the Zuurberg Mountain Villagewhere participants benefit from luxury hotel or tented accommodation, and fine dining at the race village. 

Van der Bijl remarks about the race saying, “The NFB Great Zuurberg Trail Run is the sister event to the PWC Great Zuurberg Trek (a three day mountain bike stage race), and embraces trail running’s pioneering and adventurous spirit. “Our passion for the region drives us.

Runners pass a cycad, estimated to be around a 1,000 years old, run through a beautiful alley of yellowwood trees, and navigate some technical trails. The route is diverse. And our races are unique. We believe our differentiators are our prestigious trails, high-end partners and discerning athletes. Plus our unashamedly luxurious twist.”