How Kenilworth residents can help buy a bike for school girls to cycle quickly and safely to school in rural Tanzania

It is hoped that people will use it as an alternative Christmas present
By Philip Hibble
Published 10th Nov 2020, 11:00 BST
Updated 10th Nov 2020, 11:02 BST
To buy a ‘bike’ or ‘bike-frame’ as an alternative gift for a friend or member of your family, email Bikes4Uyogo2020@outlook.comTo buy a ‘bike’ or ‘bike-frame’ as an alternative gift for a friend or member of your family, email Bikes4Uyogo2020@outlook.com
To buy a ‘bike’ or ‘bike-frame’ as an alternative gift for a friend or member of your family, email [email protected]

Kenilworth residents are being given the chance to 'buy a bike' to enable secondary school girls to cycle quickly and safely to school in rural Tanzania.

The ‘Buy-A-Bike’ alternative gift scheme has been launched in Kenilworth by this year’s Mayor of Kenilworth, Cllr Richard Dickson.

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The Kenilworth Uyogo Friendship Link (KUFL) charity, supported by Cllr Dickson as one of his Mayoral charities, has come up with a new way to raise money for bicycles to enable secondary school girls to cycle quickly and safely to school in rural Tanzania.

£50 will pay for a locally purchased bicycle, delivered to Uyogo Secondary School. This will make a huge difference to the life of a secondary school girl, some of whom live up to 26kms away from school; walking long distances to school means those in the furthest villages are struggling to attend.

£25 will buy a bike frame. In both cases the buyer will receive an A4 certificate which can be given to a family member, other families or friends as an 'alternative' gift.

Kenilworth has had a friendship link with Uyogo in Tanzania for more than 40 years. Girls walking to the new secondary school that has opened in the village, from their homes in neighbouring communities, are also at significant risk of being attacked.

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Uyogo community leaders have asked for help to provide bicycles for girls so they can cycle safely to and from school, in groups. All the money raised through the alternative gift scheme will be used to buy new bikes locally in Tanzania, which will also be clearly marked as a KUFL bike.

Helping to launch the new alternative gift scheme, Cllr Richard Dickson said: "Kenilworth residents have always been very generous towards the people of Uyogo.

"Kenilworth can claim to be the birthplace of modern-day cycling since Edward Langley Fardon first rode a bicycle from Kenilworth to Leek Wootton in 1869. With this alternative gift scheme the two go together."

Details of how to buy a bike or bike-frame gift can be found on the website http://www.kenilworthuyogofriendshiplink.org/buy-a-bike-appeal/ or by e-mailing [email protected]