A Zimbabwean has become the first refugee to receive a tandem rating in paragliding, meaning he is certified to fly with people. Alois...
A Zimbabwean has become the first refugee to receive a
tandem rating in paragliding, meaning he is certified to fly with people.
Aloise Marume, 33, moved to South Africa in 2009 in search
of a better life and work opportunities, leaving his wife Sabina Magadu, 25,
behind.
“I left Zimbabwe because of the economic crisis it was
facing and initially found work part-time as a paragliding porter, carrying
various paragliding equipment for people engaging in the sport,” Marume said.
“I did this until 2011 and thereafter I started working
with a guy named Peter Wallenda, the owner of a company called Wallend-Air
Paragliding School, an organisation that aims to promote the sport in South
Africa.”
In 2012, Wallenda started teaching Marume to paraglide and
by the end of the year, he had received his basic paragliding piloting licence,
which meant he would be able to fly by himself around certain sites in South
Africa.
“At the beginning of 2014, I received my sports licence and
was able to compete in paragliding competitions,” he said.
When it seemed like Marume had reached the end of his rope
in 2015, he linked up with Stephan Kruger, the owner of Fly Cape Town
Paragliding, a multi-faceted company that specialises in paragliding tours,
teaching and other things connected to the sport.
Soon after working there, Kruger organised a glider for
Marume through one of his pilots and he was once again airborne.
“I obtained my tandem rate paragliding licence shortly
after. This meant that I could transport people, but not charge them for the
ride.”
Marume notes that once he gets his tandem instructor
rating, he will be able to make money from the sport and better the lives of
his family.
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