Within Livingstone, Zambia, there are very few secondary (Grade 8+) schools. Those talented and hard working individuals that are lucky enough to pass their exams into grade 8 therefore have very long distances to walk. In speaking with the head teachers of these schools we are told that the distances that children have to walk are causing a huge problem on performance and attendance. Currently children only attend 2 or 3 days a week as they stay at home to rest on alternate days.
Riders and staff of Tour D’Afrique, a bike ride crossing Africa from North to South; covering almost 7,500 miles in four months, have donated bicycles to various schools within Linda Community, which in turn will promote school attendance and give better energy levels to children during the school day. For the community of Linda Farm, who have also received bicycles, this will enable them to take their produce to the market and generate income that will benefit the community as a whole.
Yotam Nkowani, a pupil at St. Raphael’s Secondary School wanted to say a few words himself.
“My name is Yotam and I am 19years old doing grade 11 at St. Raphael’s Secondary School. I stay at Euraka flats. When I started my grade 8 in 2011 I used to walk about 16km to and from school since my parents couldn’t afford to give me money to take the bus. With this challenge my friends would sometimes tell me to quit school but I was determined to continue with my education.
Sometime last year during assembly the deputy head teacher announced that he wanted to see all those boys who covered a distance of 10km or more to and from school. I and a number of boys went to his office where we were interviewed. At the end of the interview he came up with a list of ten boys and I was lucky to be among the ten boys. He informed us that he would give as a bicycle each to help us with transport problem. However he told us that the bicycles should only be used by us for the purpose of riding to and from school. He said that the bicycles were a property of the school, as such he expected us to take good care of them and at the end of the term we were expected to hand them over bicycles to the school for safe keeping.
I would like to thank The Happy Africa Foundation and its partners for the kind gesture of providing bicycles to vulnerable pupils to enable them get to school faster. Please continue with your good work.
This kind gesture has enabled me to be punctual for lessons. Furthermore it has enabled me to be alert and attentive in class compared to the time when I used to walk to school I would be so tired the moment I reach school and I would not be attentive and alert in class. Because of punctuality and improved academic performance I am now a school Librarian. May god richly bless you for the good work that you are doing.”
Once again, a huge thank you especially to Tour d’Afrique. We know the Linda Farm Community and schools will be hugely appreciative of this donation of bicycles. It is not just a donation to their education, but an investment into their future.