100 Mountain Bikes Donated to Rural School Children

Students at the Olefile Secondary School in Pitsedisulejang, North West, South Africa, have recently received a life-changing donation of 100 hard-wearing mountain bicycles and helmets.

The generous donation was made in partnership with Bikes4ERP (Elephants, Rhinos & People) and Medipost Holdings, and is aimed at helping children within rural communities who would otherwise walk to school.

The bicycles – valued at R300 000 – will be a metaphorical drop in the bucket as over 690 000 North West pupils currently walk to school due to unaffordability and unavailability of public transport.

However, according to Nora Tager – the Executive Director of the Peace Foundation, which heads the Bikes4ERP initiative – these bicycles will still have a noteworthy impact on the recipients.

Tager addressed a local news outlet in July, as the bicycles were being organised, saying: “Schools that have previously received bicycles have noted a marked increase in attendance, and improvement in learners’ marks up to 15%, increasing the pass rate to 90% in some instances.”

While the bicycles were given to pupils between Grades 8 to 11, they will be returned to the school once the recipients complete their matric year; thereafter, they will be passed onto the next child in need.

Image Credit: Source