Durban - A former drug addict from KwaZulu-Natal says he is eager to begin his mission of fighting drug abuse and other social ills by undertaking a prayer ride across three provinces.
Edward Pozyn, 58, will be cycling from Howick, in the Midlands, to the Augrabies Falls National Park in the Northern Cape and on to Hermanus in the Western Cape in the hope of spreading the gospel and encouraging people to pray for peace and unity. He is also hoping to raise funds, to be donated to drug rehabilitation centres.
He will set off on his solo journey on Wednesday with the intention of completing the trip in two months. He plans to make pit stops in towns that have been most ravaged by drug consumption, crime and poverty. This will be his second mission. His first was in 2021 when he walked from KZN to the Western Cape, with the same aim.
He delivered a “revival scroll” to Cape Town which had been passed on to him by church members during his journey. Pozyn said his missions were inspired by a desire to make the world a better place. At present, he lives at The Ark shelter in Howick. “I grew up in a very disruptive environment.
My father was an alcoholic and we moved around a lot, that it got to a point where I was constantly in trouble at school because I had become rebellious,” he said. He recalled being assaulted by his mother who tied him to a cupboard for three days until he was rescued by his uncle. He was rushed to hospital and placed in a coma for over a month. “I then attended a farm school, a government institution, for three years before I decided to run away to avoid joining the army.
All young men from 17 years old had to do national service … or alternatively spend five to seven years in prison,” said Pozyn. He said he began using marijuana at the age of 13. This eventually became a gateway to other drugs such as mandrax, ecstasy and alcohol.
Pozyn said he has been sober since November 2011, after a near-death encounter on the streets. “I overdosed on valium and sleeping tablets and almost died. I woke up in a confused state and a man had a knife to my throat. I remember in the state of mind that I was in, I stood up and spoke unto my heavenly father and asked him to help me,” he said.
Pozyn said he quit his addiction through motivation from those around him, and a realisation that he wanted a better life for himself. His cycle trip to the Western Cape is being sponsored. He said the money he hoped to raise would be donated to the Robin Hood Foundation, a nonprofit organisation in Durban.
Jackie Psannis, marketing, donor and public relations spokesperson for the Robin Hood Foundation, said she was proud of the stance Pozyn had taken. She said she had met him during the floods in 2022, when men from The Ark helped the organisation to provide relief for flood victims.
“This cycle to the Western Cape is admirable and worthy of the general public’s support. We managed to assist with a bicycle donation and some other items on Edward’s wish list. We wish Edward everything of the best as he undertakes this impactful cycle.” Readers can keep track of his trip through his Facebook page.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE