Our Charity

#HelpUsHelpOurRhinos

The Cycle of Life™ Story

In 2014, at the height of rhino poaching, three friends – Simone, Faye and René – entered the Cape Town Cycle Tour to raise funds to support the anti-poaching efforts in Zululand of the dwindling rhino population. We were joined by three more friends, two Germans and a South African who were also concerned about the situation and determined to assist. We chose Zululand as at the time it was the hotspot of the rhino-poaching crisis.

Our main supporters, abMedica, who have become our key sponsor over the past 4 years, provided branded cycle kit for the six of us. The following year, through word of mouth, our team grew to 61 riders and by the 2017 event, a team of 112 riders were kitted out to participate as The Cycle of Life team.

What started out as a once off fund-raiser, has grown into an annual event and with the interest and encouragement increasing each year, we look forward to more and moresupport for our rhino conservation campaign.

We strongly believe that our children are our future and that it is essential that we do all in our power to conserve our heritage and raise awareness. With this in mind, we launched an inter schools challenge. Teams of 8 learners, at various schools, have been encouraged to cycle as part of the team, and raise funds. Adults, too, are encouraged to fundraise and the top fundraiser of both teams will win a trip of 2 nights to a luxurious lodge on Phinda Private Game Reserve sponsored by &Beyond and Bayala Private Safari Lodges.

The funds raised to date, have been spent in many areas

Rhino dehorning – all the rhinos at Phinda were dehorned over a 2 year period. There have been no rhinos poached this year as a direct result of these efforts.Horns regrow and require trimming every 18 months so this is an ongoing project
Surveillance equipment installed
Anti-poaching guard equipment and uniforms. Plus, an anti-poaching guard house was built to provide the guards with facilities while off duty.
Orphaned animal support by way of food and medical costs
Medical expenses for injured animals
An endangered species boma at the vets clinic provides space for medical treatment on site and while injured or sick animals recover
A large animal trailer was purchased and is used to transport injured or sick animals where required
Community support – purchasing stationery and school bags for learners at schools in the community
Financial support towards the Zululand Reward Fund to pay for intelligence that leads to the arrest or conviction of poachers
Rohrer’s Rest, a deck built for use by Bishops and other schools during their ranger and conservation courses

All of this would not be possible without the commitment and dedication of our solid team of experts who bring a wealth of experience from their different fields of expertise to the management of the charity.

We would like to clarify that we work voluntarily, not drawing any salaries from the donations made to the charity. Bank fees and relevant administration fees are deducted from the interest that is earned on our account and NOT from the donations.

We are an officially registered NPC in South Africa with Section 18a tax deduction status as well as a German registered NGO where a certificate for the tax authority is also issued for any donation.

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Who we are – meet our team

the Cycle of Life Charity Funds Directors

René Lanfear – Director – Finance & Founder | Simone Wilke-Godfrey – Director – Marketing & Founder |
Karen Quinlan – Director – Legal | JR Janse van Rensburg – Project Management

Simone Wilke - Godfrey

Director - Marketing | Founder

Simone moved from Germany to South Africa after completing a degree in Economics in Tourism, and her love of adventure and travel led her to work for an incoming tour operator in Cape Town, which inspired her to start The Cycle of Life Charity and launch a travel company that combines sports activities and unusual adventures while supporting conservation projects

René Lanfear

Director - Finance | Founder

René graduated with a B.Com degree and worked at Standard Bank for 17 years before pursuing her passion for philanthropy, where she raised funds for abandoned children and rhino projects. René uses her strong financial and negotiating skills to oversee travel itineraries for The Cycle of Life™ Travel.

Karen Quinlan

Director - Legal

Karen is a lawyer who started her own legal services business after working for various legal and financial groups. Karen uses her legal skills to provide pro bono services for wildlife and the African bush, while also serving as an independent trustee on several corporate trusts and employee benefit funds. Karen plays an active role in policy drafting, contract management, governance and compliance matters as well as corporate secretarial services for The Cycle of Life Charity

JR Janse Van Rensburg

Project Management

JR, an experienced ecologist on Zuka Private Game Reserve, is responsible for overseeing the entire project selection process, ensuring feasibility, getting quotations from different suppliers, and providing ongoing oversight during the implementation of projects. He is highly skilled at providing valuable feedback on the progress of projects , and is the final authority when it comes to signing off on projects once they have been fully realized.

Our Success Stories

Radio Communications and Security

Over the last two years we have been supporting our APU in optimising their radio communications. The recently installed radio mast covers a vast area between the Phinda Private Game Reserve...

Dr Mike Toft Zululand Wildlife Treatment Centre

Cycle of Life Charity Funds is delighted to announce that one of our biggest projects, the Endangered Species Boma at the Dr Mike Toft Zululand Wildlife Treatment Center, is finally finished and...