Plan International to give over 1,500 bicycles to students in 17 schools to ease learning.

 Ride to improve academic performance:Students of St. Mark's Obambo Secondary school in Kisumu West Sub-County test their newly acquired bicycles donated by Plan International Kenya in Partnership with World Bicycles Relief to students who trek longer distance to and from school.The Bicycles will now help in improving their academic performance since the students who have benefited will now arrive in school early and take a lot of time in studying.-Photo By James Keyi.

By DICKSON ODHIAMBO.

June 12, 2017.

Plan International to give over 1,500 bicycles to students in 17 schools to ease learning.

A total of 1,500 students within Kisumu County are set to benefit from a program meant to give them bicycles which will help ease transportation to and from school.

The program dubbed Tulinde wasichana wetu{Swahili word for let protect our girls} being spearheaded by Plan International Kenya in partnership with World Bicycles Relief{WBR} targets 70 percent of the girls and 30 percent of the boys within the selected schools.

Speaking during the official handing over of 138 bicycles to the selected students of St.Mark’s Obambo Secondary school in Kisumu West Sub-County on Friday, Project Director for Norad/ECM projects under Plan International Kenya Annastasia Mulwa said they will actually give 1,546 bicycles to the 17 selected schools within Kisumu County.

She says they are targeting to give students in ten schools in Seme Sub-county, five schools within Kisumu West and two schools in Muhoroni Sub-county.

Mulwa says the provision of the bicycles to the students is expected to help in improving their academic performances since a lot of time will not now be taken by the students to trek for longer distance to and from school but will be taken to study after arriving to school early using their bicycles.

Mulwa says they have taken the initiative to give the bicycles to the students who have been taking a lot of time while trekking to and from school thereby wasting a lot of time on the way to school.

“With this initiative, the students who used to trek longer distance to and from school will now not do so because these bicycles will really ease transportation to and from school. This is therefore expected to improve in terms of their academic performance because they will now take a lot of time studying and not trekking for long distances to and from school,” she says.

She says the Parents whose children have benefitted from the program will have the responsibility to ensure the bicycles are maintained and well used for the intended purposes.

Kisumu County Director of Education Sabina Aroni urged the students to make use of the bicycles well.

She says the initiative will be of greater help to the beneficiaries as it will surely help in improving quality education by ensuring that the students arrive in school early enough and waste no time in trekking thus embark on studying.

Christine Orieny, a form one student at St. Mark’s Obambo Mixed Secondary school who is one of the beneficiaries could not hide her joy while receiving the bicycle.

The girl says she will no longer trek for long distance of nearly two kilometers to and from school as the bicycle will now ease her transportation to school.

“I am one of the happiest students today after I have now been provided with this bicycle which will now ease my transportation to and from school.I will now fully concentrate on my studies since I will now be taking little time to reach school,” she says. 

Among the schools set to benefit apart from St. Mark’s Obambo Mixed Secondary school include Mariwa Mixed, Diemo, Kisian Secondary, Bonde, Tiengre, Nyatigo, St. Antony Dago Kokore secondary school among others.

Plan International is an independent Global child rights organization committed to supporting vulnerable and marginalized children and their communities to be free from poverty.

By actively connecting committed people with powerful ideas, the organization work together to make positive,deep-rooted and lasting changes in children and young people’s lives.

For over 75 years,it has supported girls and boys and their communities around the world to gain skills, knowledge and confidence they need to reclaim their rights, free themselves from poverty and live positive fulfilling lives.

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