U.S. charity organization – World Bicycle Relief, distributed its first of 50,000 bikes to children in Zambia, Southern Africa. Over the course of three years, World Bicycle Relief, partnered with the non-profit group World Vision, plans to spend around $7.5 million to reach its goal of handing out 50,000 bicycles to make it easier for thousands of children to get to school.
In order to get an education, many children in Zambia walk to school before the sun comes up, and return home after the sun goes down. Lack of safe, reliable transportation is one of the reasons children in developing countries don’t get to school. Those that do make it over long distances, often arrive too tired and hungry to learn.
“Absenteeism has been our biggest challenge,” said Ndapula school official Amos Muliswa. “It has dogged us ever since we established this community school in 2003.” Many children are unable to attend class, not because they don’t want to learn, but because of the 10 to 20 mile commute.
Children shed tears of joy as they received the gifts. World Bicycle Relief also plans to give bikes away in Zimbabwe, Kenya and other third world countries.
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