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A Llangadog man will be travelling to Patagonia next year to revisit the area where he learnt Welsh 37 years ago. This will be part of Rhobert ap Steffan’s venture to raise money for Mencap Cymru in memory of his hero, the late Gwynfor Evans. Rhobert intends to join a walking trek led by the famous naturalist Iolo Williams through the southern Andes in October 2008. It will mean walking around 12 miles a day for a week over very difficult terrain in the Los Glaciers national park in southern Argentina. Rhobert’s aim is to raise at least £3,500 for Mencap Cymru, a charity that helps make a difference to the lives of adults and children with learning difficulties. Afterwards, Rhobert intends staying on in “Y Wladfa” (the Welsh-speaking area of Patagonia) to conduct research into the history of the Tehuelche tribe, the indigenous Indians of Chubut province. “I will be there as a kind of unofficial Welsh ambassador and will try to help strengthen the ties between Y Wladfa and the ‘Old Country’” he said. “I spent a year in Y Wladfa in order to learn Welsh. I worked in a saw mill near Trelew and on a big “estancia” (ranch) near Trefelin at the foot of the Andes in Cwm Hyfryd. I spoke Welsh within a few months – I had no choice as almost no one spoke English!” “I’m doing this for Mencap who give wonderful support to people with learning difficulties but who need more financial resources. I’m also making the effort in memory of Gwynfor Evans – the man who had the greatest influence on my life as a Welshman and, in my opinion, on contemporary Welsh politics and the future of our language”. To sponsor the venture go to: www.justgiving.com/rhobert
Rhobert Writes: "Fundraising is going really well at the moment. During February I gave a talk to the Cydweli Rotary Club and was awarded a £500 sponsorhip by David Gravell of Cydweli Renault. His family has had long connections with Patagonia and his father had been there 13 times! Also I received £500 from HSBC who match-funded a pig roast held on my behalf in Cilycwm. Here's me pictured with Llandeilo's branch manager Ceridwen Lewis. I received a generous £100 from Llandovery Tyres and have been pledged a further £500 by local contractors Tir na nOg. I propose to start serious mountain training during April when the 40 of us going on the trek will have our first get together." Link to Rhobert's Mencap Cymru Blog - www.rhobertmencap.blogspot.com
Ashley Drake, Director of the University of Wales Press, has given Rhobert a copy of the newly published Encyclopaedia of Wales, in Welsh, to present to the people of Patagonia from the people of Wales. It will be kept in the Welsh Museum and Library in Gaiman, Chubut Province, which lies in the middle of Y Wladfa, the Welsh heartland of Argentina. The encyclopaedia will be signed by First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones in a special ceremony on behalf of the people of Wales at 12am on Tuesday, April 1st at the Senedd building in Cardiff.
As part of the project Barclays in the Community, Barclays Bank have sponsored Rhobert for his trek over the Southern Andes with the naturalist Iolo Williams in the Autumn. £1,650 was raised through a coffee morning, sale and raffle and by now Rhobert, here seen with Susan Augustus (Barclays Bank Llandeilo/Llandovery), has raised almost £6,000 for the charity.
In training to challenge the mountains
1st October
I climbed Cader Idris with Marilyn (my wife) and Sioned (my daughter) today. I don't intend to do much more training before I leave for Patagonia on October 16th. I'm fairly fit now and ready for the challenge. I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has been so supportive over the last year: my friends, family, neighbours, banks. businesses and organisations. After my last fund raising night on Glyndwr's Day (Sept.15th), for example, I received £260 from the Llangadog branch of Merched y Wawr. Heartfelt thanks to them and everyone else who has contributed to this worthy cause; remember there is still time to help Mencap either on line or by sending a cheque to me. Best wishes, Back Home As you probably know by now I completed the Trans Andean trek for Mencap Cymru in the very far south of Argentina last month - through snow blizzards, hail, storms - you name it! It was very tough indeed but also a great experience for a great cause and I made some good friends for life. I´ve also delivered the encyclopaedia of Wales to the people of Y Wladfa, have visited the local Welsh schools, and societies and was interviewed on radio in Welsh I attended the Patagonian Eisteddfod and visited the large number of Welsh chapels and farms in this area where people still work and worship in "Yr Hen Iaith" after 143 years! It´s all very surreal to someone from Wales. I´ve been up to Cwm Hyfryd in the Andes and the towns of Trefelin and Esquel which were settled by the Welsh in the 1880´s. This area is quite different to the lower Chubut, settled in the 1860/70s, which is quite arid. Cwm Hyfryd is far more like Wales but with higher mountains! The 600 kms between the two areas is beautiful but a sparsly populated semi-desert. Whilst there I visited the Welsh primary schools and have initiated a twinning of Ysgolion yr Andes with Ysgol Gynradd Llangadog. The past week I spent back in Gaiman, Dyffryn Camwy, teaching Welsh to adults, giving talks and meeting people from all stratas of society and am now on a farm outsde Trelew - the largest town in Welsh Patagonia - before returning home next Monday via Buenos Aires and Madrid. Thanks to all my friends, family, banks, businesses and organizations around Llangadog for their moral and financial support in this venture. May I also remind anyone who would like to contribute to Mencap that the fund is still open for donations at www.justgiving.com/rhobert or cheques with their name and address can be sent to my home in Llangadog. Best wishes, Rhobert ap Stephan,
Message from Rhobert 5.12.08 Dear Sponsor, Well, I did it ! I'm back home now after completing
the trek and spending a wonderful time in Y Wladfa Gymreig. The
journey through the Andes was very tough - wind, hail, snow, rain
and occasionally sunshine even - see the photos ! But, thanks
to you, I have raised £8,106 for Mencap Cymru and the fund
is open until the end of the year if you would like to add to
it. Hwyl fawr,
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