Bringing new smiles to children
ROB KNOWLES
A FORMER professional yachtsman, Cape Town-born Richard Kohler, has taken on a marathon 3 600km canoe trip along the Southern African coast to give the gift of a new smile to children born with cleft palates.
Cleft lips and cleft palates are variations of a type of congenital deformity caused by abnormal facial development during gestation. About one in every 700 children born have a cleft lip and/or a cleft palate.
Kohler’s intention is to paddle around the coastline, from Namibia to Mozambique, and raise money for the Miles for Smiles foundation.
| TEAMWORK: Paddler Richard Kohler (left) and his support crew driver, Warren Dykes, are currently canoeing about 3 600km along the Southern African shoreline, from Namibia to Mozambique, to raise money to assist children born with cleft palates to enjoy a normal life Picture: ROB KNOWLES |
"The earlier a cleft lip or palate is operated on the easier it is to fix,” he told TotT during his two-day stopover in Port Alfred last week.
His journey started at Alexander Bay on October 20, but he canoed north first to cross the Namibian border.
Together with the support of friend Warren Dykes, Kohler sets off early each morning, weather permitting.
"If there’s headwinds or big surf we don’t go,” he said. "We average two out of three days.”
He paddles for about four to eight hours, averaging 45km a day, before returning to shore and taking a well-earned rest, readying himself for the next leg of his epic journey.
Kohler expects to complete the trip at about the middle to the end of February, and will cross the Mozambican border to land at Ponta do Ouro.
"When we complete the trip it will be the first time anyone has ever successfully paddled along the [entire] coast,” he said.
This is Kohler’s second attempt to complete the journey. His first, a year ago from Mozambique to Namibia, was aborted after only a few weeks due to a series of accidents and events that made it impossible for him to continue. These included a shark attack at Sodwana on his third day out, back problems and being robbed.
"Being out on the ocean alone, with only a radio for comfort, I sometimes laugh when I hear traffic reports from Johannesburg or Cape Town. There is very little traffic in the ocean, and I feel lucky to be out there. It’s a great stress reliever,” he said.
Kohler’s was joined by his support man, Dykes, who flew out from Bognor Regis in the UK on November 15.
"I lived in Cape Town for 30 years,” said Dykes, "and my son volunteered me for the support role,”
Kohler said it was the immediate benefit to the children that inspired him to raise money for the Miles for Smiles Foundation.
"For relatively little money, children can be given a new life by this surgery,” he said. "So, it’s not like giving food which is an ongoing thing. This is a one-off operation, but the benefits will last a lifetime.”
Today (January 10) Kohler is scheduled to be leaving Kei Mouth. His journey can be followed on Facebook (Paddling for Smiles), or tracked on either www.multitrack.co.za (user=smile, password=1234) or http://track.satphone.com (user=sbd.voyager, password=1234). Donations can also be made on the website.
