The Run Along Sport Foundation (RASF) has embarked on a heartfelt five-day outreach programme aimed at empowering young para-athletes and children living with disabilities across northern Namibia.
This is the first time RASF will launch a nationwide initiative to bring the product to all regions over the next year. We hereby invite local companies to partner with RASF when we visit their regions.
According to the foundation’s co-founder, Jean-Paul ‘JP’ Schmidt, the initiative, which starts today, will focus on exposing children to various para-sports and encouraging parents to recognise the opportunities available for their children within inclusive sports environments.
“Our base of operations will be at Eluwa Special School in Ongwediva, but we plan to go wherever the children are. We want to reach as many young children as possible and help them discover their sporting potential,” explained Schmidt.
The outreach programme will go beyond traditional track and field events, introducing participants to sports such as wheelchair tennis, badminton, archery, shooting, goalball, blind football, para table tennis, and sitting volleyball.
Schmidt said this approach aims to broaden awareness and participation, while also identifying talented para-athletes who may thrive in other disciplines.
Schmidt emphasised that real impact comes from action. “True power lies in doing, in getting on the ground and helping,” he said.
In addition to the sports outreach, the Run Along Foundation continues to champion education through its Tutorial Support Project, which provides extra classes to learners at Eluwa Special School.
Teachers are compensated on a per session basis, a cost covered through the support of generous corporate sponsors. “This initiative relies heavily on the goodwill of companies willing to invest in education. Every contribution helps us give learners the tools they need to succeed. We recently also held the Chase event, where we supported children with albinism, providing tests and spectacles to the first 35 learners at Eluwa Special School. Nictus is our main sponsor for the Chase, as well as Indongo Toyota, which makes it possible for our project to reach beneficiaries in rural areas across Namibia,” he concluded.