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South African'¯Adventurer Sets World Record'¯to Aid'¯ Rural'¯ Students

Franco Puglisi

   JOHANNESBURG - Saray'¯Khumalo, the first'¯ black'¯ African woman to
   conquer Mt.'¯Everest, appears'¯to have'¯set a Guinness World Record for
   the most money raised during an eight-hour stationary cycling
   '¯fundraiser.'¯'¯ She will use the money to'¯build digital libraries
   for rural children'¯whose education has been impacted by COVID.

   From the highest'¯peak'¯of Mount'¯Everest to a stationary
   bicycle,'¯South African'¯Saray'¯Khumalo'¯is breaking new records.

   The first black'¯African'¯woman to summit'¯the world's tallest
   mountain'¯in 2019, Khumalo'¯gave herself'¯a
   new'¯challenge'¯--'¯breaking'¯a'¯Guinness World Record'¯for charity.

   Through eight hours of stationary cycling,'¯Khumalo'¯raised'¯nearly
   $44,000'¯to build'¯digital libraries for'¯South
   Africa's'¯rural'¯students'¯whose'¯education'¯suffered when schools
   closed'¯due to'¯the'¯pandemic.

   "I think we can't afford to leave any children behind, if you look at
   what happened with the lockdown and COVID-19,'¯schools that did not
   have digital material to support the students were really locked'¯down,
   students were struggling, and we can't afford that," she said.

   Each digital library will'¯have'¯a mobile'¯tablet
   computer'¯with'¯curriculum-based applications and'¯teacher training
   modules.

   Education'¯aid'¯group'¯"ischoolAfrica"'¯helped
   fundraise'¯for'¯Khumalo'¯and her team's'¯attempt on October 25 to break
   the Guinness World Record.

   Michelle Lissoos is director of the group.

   "We work in partnership with the schools, with donors,'¯with sponsors
   to really change the way we teach and learn,'¯and to look for solutions
   in a very challenging environment," said Lissoos.

   After eight hours of'¯spinning,'¯Khumalo'¯and her
   team'¯felt'¯confident, said team member Cindy van Wyk.

   "It was an awesome, awesome day, and around one o'clock,'¯Saray'¯and I
   knew we had broken the world record... It's for the children, for the
   children of this beautiful country," she said.

   While falling'¯short'¯of'¯their'¯personal'¯goal'¯to'¯raise'¯about
   $62,000,'¯Khumalo said'¯she'¯will'¯keep fundraising until they reach
   the'¯peak of their'¯goal -- to build nine digital libraries for South
   African children.

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