By Nokuthaba Dlamini
The Greenline Africa, in partnership with World Bicycle Relief organisation, is distributing 800 bicycles to Hwange villagers with school children and health workers set to benefit.
According to Greenline Africa’s programme coordinator, Edith January, the program which started this month aims to assist with mobility, the essential community members who walk long distances on a daily basis.
“We are in the process of distributing 800 bicycles to Kachechete and Chidobe villagers under chief Mvuthu,”January said.
“Our beneficiaries are drawn from traditional leadership, village health workers, education sector, women’s groups, and youths and dip tank and pump minders. The aim is to close a gap of service delivery where villagers, for instance, the health workers have to walk over ten kilometres to deliver medication or visit their patients that they represent in their communities, so those people are our special target,” said January.
“We are also giving school children that are above the age of ten years, as long as they live at above three kilometre radius from their schools because we want to improve the pass rate as many of them end up delaying getting to school while others abscond on some school days due to long distances.”
January said 70 percent of the bicycles will go to women.
To monitor and maintain the standards of the bicycles, January said the communities have formed steering communities that oversee the usage of the bicycles starting from ward level.
Beneficiaries also contribute US$5 towards the maintenance of the bicycles after selecting mechanics that will be trained to maintain them in case of a break down.
January said the programme will be expanded to other wards in the district and will run up to 2022.
