The Kazungula Bridge Marathon A Race towards Community Development

THE KAZUNGULA BRIDGE MARATHON:

A RACE TOWARDS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

By Seneo Setilo Matlapeng

Kind gestures and giving back come in different forms and functions, and Obert Morgan is a true testament to that. After realising what attaining a good education did for him, Morgan saw an opportunity to give back to the community through his passion for health and fitness. With the help of large corporate sponsors such as First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) and other international affiliates, Morgan has so far been able to raise P4 million to benefit the community of Kazungula through the Kazungula Bridge Marathon. The Obert Fitness Gym, directed by Morgan, is the founding sponsor of the Kazungula Bridge Marathon which he believes will spike up the tourism rate and create job and vocational training opportunities for the youth in that area. The Visionary Morgan attributes one of his motivations behind the marathon to his drive for advancement in corporate wellness in the country. As a young man, Morgan had his share of academic challenges. He failed his Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) but proceeded to enroll in a bricklaying course at a brigade. In 1991, he became a member of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF). He kept pushing himself beyond limits as he knew the importance of a good education.

He then obtained a certificate in Physical Education from the University of Botswana, and with extensive training courses he engaged in during his tenure at the BDF, doors began to open for him. In 2002, Morgan moved on from the BDF and went for a 3 weeklong health and wellness workshop in Chicago, the USA where his successes began to snowball.

With a twinkle of reminiscing in his eyes,

Obert Morgan, Founder & Director of Kazungula Marathon

Morgan added that in 2003, he went to Steiner TransOcean College, a School of Business in London, the UK, which prepared him for a four-month job as a cruiseship fitness director. Between the years 2004 and 2010 Morgan's drive proved that passion drives destiny. He was headhunted by an agency that ran fitness facilities across the East Coast serving as Regional Gym Director for gyms in Chicago, Miami, Florida.

Taking advantage of the opportunities that came his way, Morgan turned up his academic excellence, taking his efforts a notch higher by pursuing his first degree in Exercise Physiology from 2005 until 2007 and a Masters' Degree in Exercise Physiology from 2007 to 2009. In 2010, Morgan returned to Botswana and utilised the business manual which he says he reviewed to suit the Botswana Corporate sector and consulted on corporate fitness for various corporate entities including First National Bank FNB, Botswana National Productivity Centre BNPC, and others. He is the epitome of perseverance and social investment.

The Vision Obert shares that the current challenges of youth unemployment and lack of resources in the Okavango and Kazungula region can become a thing of the past only when great minds and support are enhanced. Morgan envisions that youth from various spectrums can have tourism symposiums, cultural nights, agricultural tourism, and local sporting tournaments all centered on the Kazungula infrastructure and they need initiatives like the marathon to serve as investors in their capabilities. Socio-Economic Impact on Kazungula Region There has been a significant amount of buzz surrounding the marathon since it was launched. And with the marathon having attracted close to four thousand participants from all corners of the world including the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, Lesotho, and many others, local economic resuscitation has been realised with accommodation in the Okavango region being fully booked.

It is from this fund that Obert Fitness has adopted Maun Senior Secondary and donated eight thousand sanitary pads to the school per schooling term, a project that has been ongoing for the past eight years.

In addition, earlier this year, Obert Fitness donated two hundred pairs of school shoes to the Kasane village authorities and has also allowed people living with disabilities, including those who are Paralympians to participate in the marathon for free.

Morgan shared that the perks of the marathon do not end when the actual marathon event ends. He states that there are many projects in the pipeline post the event that Obert Fitness supports, including building a house for a family to be identified by the Kasane Village authority, as well as other short-term projects. Contribution to Tourism Development When the Kazungula Bridge graphics were revealed to the public, Morgan witnessed an international interest in Southern African tourism and the Kazungula bridge marathon became the idea he wanted to develop. The vision became a reality in 2020. Being the patriot that he is, Morgan says the marathon is not a mere run, but an opportunity for him to revive tourism activity by telling the peculiar tale of how a cardinal point can unite Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

Through this event, Botswana will become the beacon of Southern African tourism because it is through Botswana that the story of The Sedudu between Botswana and Namibia, The Victoria Falls between Botswana and Zimbabwe, and Livingstone between Botswana and Zambia will be told.