It was a sigh of relief for students for Epanja Secondary School in Mumias East Sub County after World Bicycle Relief donated 130 bicycles worth Sh 2million to the institution for their personal use.
An official from the organization Peter Wechuli said the move will help students who trek for long distances to reach the school in good time, since the Buffalo Bicycles donated to the school are very robust and simple to use in rural development regions.
Speaking at the school Wednesday after donating the bicycles, Wechuli said they had settled on selected schools and deserving students to be issued with the bicycles, bearing in mind the beneficiaries’ humble backgrounds and academic ability.
“The plan will improve their overall academic performance and attendance rates in the benefiting schools. We look forward to involving many more schools in the rural area for sustainable development,” he said.
He called on the successful students to take care of the bicycles and desist from lending them other people. The NGO provides bikes to rural students enabling them to get access to school education and thereafter improve on their livelihoods.
The school Head Teacher Fanice Msangaeli thanked the NGO and said the move will ensure students reach school in time and ease their transportation to and from school.
“We are very lucky as an institution. The students will be able to attend the classes without upheavals and I hope our mean score will also improve,” said Msangaeli.
The occasion was witnessed by parents and various stakeholders including the Anglican Church that supports the school.
By John Ochanda
