In the summer of 2009 A Better World team took part in the fundraising and opening of Kiprengwe Primary School, 37 kilometres from Kericho, Kenya. The area is infamous for its hilly terrain; and the school is perched on the top of an audaciously steep hill. The red soil makes for a challenging drive, let alone walk. Some of the 580 primary students of Kiprengwe school walk up to 20 kilometres to and from school each day, generally on an empty stomach.
Once we returned from our trip, inspired by the story of these students we contacted Kona to see if they would be interested in partnering to provide bicycles to the 580 students at the school. Kona did not hesitate to get on board with the project and immediately began designing a bicycle for the primary students, taking into consideration the unique terrain, age group and sustainability issues. This is the first bicycle Kona has designed for this age group, and the largest Kona Basic Needs project the organization has done to date.
The bike design is now complete and ready for production. In order to provide each student and teacher with a bicycle, we will need to raise approximately $50,000 by 2012. Our main fundraising initiative will be a bike-a-thon hosted at the Canmore Nordic Centre on September 10, 2011. Our goal is to have 300 cyclists of various ability come out and raise a minimum of $130 each; the equivalent cost of one bike subsidized by Kona.
Register for the event here.
We strongly believe these bicycles will ultimately increase the student’s quality of life by increasing their productivity through having more time and energy to focus on studies, decreasing drop out rates, and increasing their safety. As of today, Kiprengwe has a great structure thanks to the volunteers, donors and supporters of A Better World as well as the community of Kiprengwe. These bikes will be the next investment in creating a great community for generations to come. For more information,
visit the website.
