World Bicycle Relief is grateful for the partnership of Euromonitor in implementing the Bicycles for Educational Empowerment Programme (BEEP) at Ibokolo Secondary School in Kakamega, Kenya. This year you have provided an additional 65 life-changing Buffalo Bicycles and a path out of poverty for students whose educations were at risk due to long and unsafe walks to school. These bikes were in addition to the 130 bicycles that you helped provide at the school in 2019.
World Bicycle Relief has trained a Bicycle Supervisory Committee (BSC) made up of local community members who have selected students to receive Buffalo Bicycles. Students were selected based on distance traveled to school and vulnerability criteria created by the BSC.
All bicycles are not created equal. The Buffalo Bicycle is purpose-built for rugged conditions, heavy loads, and daily use by students. The students you’ve empowered can now reach school safely and on time. With their bicycles, students have extra time for studies, chores at home and after-school activities. Students also transport family members to health clinics and carry goods like water and grain to and from distant markets with their Buffalo Bicycles.
Ibokolo Secondary School has witnessed some amazing improvements since 2019 when World Bicycle Relief started implementing their Bicycles for Educational Empowerment Programme (BEEP) at the school, through the support of Euromonitor. Since the first 130 Buffalo Bicycles were distributed to students who had significant challenges with distances, the school has reported that more students arrive for school on time, they have seen a decrease in absenteeism, more students have enrolled at the school, and they have also seen a decrease in student pregnancies as girls have not had to rely on lifts from motorcycle taxi operators who prey on the
ir vulnerability. The staff at the school said that they have also noticed some improvements in the students’ self esteem and their feelings towards coming to school. They can see a sense of community and kindness amongst the students with bicycles as they are often willing to give other students who don’t have bicycles a lift to school.
“On behalf of the school management, the teachers’ students, and the entire Ibokolo Secondary School community we thank World Bicycle Relief, and implore the organization to continue with the program to help the students to improve in academics.” – Ibokolo Deputy Principal.
Valence, a female Grade 12 student at Ibokolo, received a Buffalo Bicycle in 2019. She says that she no longer misses as many days of school as she used to before receiving the bicycle. She says that the bicycle helps the students improve their academic performance.
Globally, 2020 and 2021 have been challenging years, and in the countries where we work the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a profound impact on educational outcomes. The Buffalo Bicycles that you provided serve as a vital motivator to keep students in school.