Tongaat Hindu Unity Forum tackles school bullying with Sani Pass hike

The Tongaat Hindu Unity Forum undertook an 18km hike at Sani Pass to raise awareness about the pressing issue of school bullying, honouring the philosophy of Adi Sankaracharya, while promoting teamwork and resilience.

The hike, which also commemorated Sankaracharya's birth anniversary, showed that people should help one another to grow and develop. Sankaracharya advocated the oneness philosophy (advaita). 

Yogan Naidoo, the public relations officer of the Tongaat Hindu Unity Forum, said the team had been training since the Tugela Falls expedition in February, to ensure they maintained their levels of fitness. 

“The hikers' level of experience is social novices. However, over the various expeditions, the hikers' experience levels are elevating,” said Yogan. 

The nine team members that braved the icy weather were Collin Pillay (55), Dhivara Naidoo (22), Nickhail Surajbully (23), Nandha Naidoo (60), Beven Moodley (36), Devani Moodley (52), Geeva Subrayan (52), Kamen Naidoo (50) and Aven Naidoo (50).

Yogan said the mountain pass appeared to be serene and beautiful yet it came with its challenges - that could sometimes be difficult to navigate. 

“The hikers needed to remain focused and dig deep into their emotional and physical strength to ensure they completed the trek. The surface was also difficult to traverse due to the loose stones, rocks and gravel, especially on the descent. 

“The hike commenced approximately 15 minutes after the border post opened at 8am and the team arrived at the top, with an altitude of 2 873m above sea level. They completed the hike in three-and-a-half hours with the length of the hike a gruelling 9km going and coming." 

He said the hike proved that nothing was impossible to overcome if everyone worked together. 

"This is what we will be showcasing at schools to prevent bullying. This exercise will be presented to schools in our area and through social media. We hope that readers will be strengthened and inspired to seek help if they are victims of bullying.

“No one should be impeded by anybody in achieving their full potential in life. Small steps with encouragement and support will find us on top. We believe the team's adventure has surely raised awareness around bullying,” said Yogan.

He said the theme of bullying was chosen due to the increased number of incidents within schools in Tongaat. 

"One of the hikers, a teacher, has always raised concerns about this malaise and the team decided something had to be done to raise awareness about this issue that, if left unchecked in many situations, could lead to depression, introverted behaviour, suicide and other psychological illnesses." 

Aven Naidoo, the team leader, said despite the difficult trek, he enjoyed the hike. 

“Apart from testing my own endurance to some of KZN's beautiful natural heritage, I truly believe it was important to raise awareness on bullying in schools. We all need a fair chance to grow and develop to our potential, and it's important that society stands together to protect the vulnerable," said Aven.  

The team will continue to conquer more local expeditions before gearing up and attempting the challenge of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The POST