Growth Against Poverty (GAP) Kenya, an education-focused NGO, has donated 87 bicycles to learners in Nambale Sub-county to improve school attendance, reduce dropout rates, and protect girls from early pregnancies.
Speaking during the distribution exercise at Nambale Vocational Training Centre, Grow Against Poverty Kenya (GAP Kenya) Executive Director Hellen Mukanda said the program aims to keep girls in school by easing transport challenges that often contribute to absenteeism, early pregnancies, and school dropouts.
“We have issued 87 bicycles, with 80 going to students and seven to community members. We are mainly focusing on girls because of the challenges they face in their academic journey. We want them to concentrate on their education and be free from early pregnancies and school dropouts. We also prioritize learners who travel long distances to school and those from vulnerable families. The beneficiaries have been drawn from several schools in Nambale,” said Mukanda.
She revealed that GAP has been donating bicycles to vulnerable learners in the region for several years now adding the initiative has significantly improved enrollment and academic performance.
“In 2021, St. Mary’s Nambale Secondary School recorded remarkable improvement in girls’ performance. Out of the 10 best-performing students, seven were girls, and this was one of the impacts of our project. The availability of bicycles has also contributed to increased school attendance across the county by providing reliable transport for learners,” she said.
Mukanda explained that the bicycles remain school property to ensure sustainability and benefit more learners over time.
“This is a school project. Once a junior secondary school learner completes Grade 9, the bicycle is returned to the school and allocated to another learner. The same applies to secondary school students after they complete Form Four. A bicycle can serve learners for up to five years without requiring major repairs,” she said.
She added that the bicycles are also contributing to environmental conservation by providing a clean means of transport.
“The bicycles support climate action because they produce no carbon emissions. We are calling for learners using bicycles to be recognized and rewarded through carbon credit initiatives for their contribution to environmental conservation,” she said.
Mukanda further urged women leaders in Busia County to support learners from poor households through education empowerment programs.
“Through this work, I have realized that poverty remains the biggest challenge affecting education in our county. We need leaders to invest in empowering communities, especially through education. There is also a need for policies that create wealth and improve livelihoods in Nambale,” she said.
Since 2018, GAP Kenya has distributed bicycles worth more than Sh70 million, with each bicycle valued at approximately Sh28,000.The initiative has enabled learners to arrive at school on time while helping reduce school dropouts and early pregnancies among girls.
The beneficiaries and school administration hailed the organization for the support, adding that it will greatly improve academic performance in the area.
By Salome Alwanda
