who are we?

For D4D information pamphlet, please click here. (pdf format - 1.11Mb)

Distance For Difference (D4D) is a registered section 21 company and non-profit organisation. We help to mobilise runners, cyclists, walkers and swimmers to get sponsorships for every kilometer they complete during the year.
With the money we collect, we help to make the lives of specifically children a little bit easier and make their future look a bit more promising.
D4D management consists of a board directors and committee members, headed up by the founder, Stephan Pieterse, a 35 year old University of Stellenbosch Mechanical Engineering graduate and currently heading up Talent&Organisational Development at PRAGMA.

our Vision

Our slogan "Children in need is our passion in deed", sums up our vision. Over the last number of years we have financially assisted several individual children, groups of children and people, organisations and charities working with children. Our dream is that the children of South Africa can be children in stable family environments, without the fear of abuse or abandonment and with prospects of becoming adults that can positively contribute to the future and well being of South Africa and its people.

what are our needs?

We are specifically looking for contacts and sponsorships for the following items.

Running/Cycling clothes (including caps)
Running shoes
Printing of logo's on clothes/Medals
Signs&stickers
Banners/canopy/tear drop flags and other promotional material

how did it all start?

It all started during January 2005 on one of Stephan's training runs. This was just after the terrible news of the Asian tsunami and various other news reports about aids, hunger, poverty, shack fires, floods and war, we were all bombarded with in 2004 (nothing has off course changed during the last few years!). We had and still have a world filled with pain and many, many needs.

While he was running, he thought about what he could do to make a difference in this world, even if it was just a very small one and this is where the idea for this organisation was born. He decided to start a campaign he called "Running for their lives", the lives of people in need. (The name was changed to Distance 4 Difference in 2008) In his own words: "God has given each of us at least one talent while some have been blessed with many. To be able to use your talents, resources and even the ability to run, which is one thing most of us take for granted, to the advantage of people in need is an awesome experience and is definitely recommended!"
He soon signed up a few sponsors and at the end of 2005 he collected just over R23,500!