Today, World Bicycle Relief is launching its July campaign to fund bicycles for girl students in Malawi. Buffalo Bicycles provided by donations raised in July will help girl students in Malawi complete their education and break the cycle of poverty and HIV.
Today, World Bicycle Relief announces Wheels in the Field: Malawi – Breaking the Cycle, its July campaign to raise funds and provide life-changing bicycles for girl students in need. All funds raised in July, up to $200,000 USD, will be matched dollar for dollar by Backroads, citizenM Hotels, Quad Lock, and a group of generous individual supporters. World Bicycle Relief is also partnering with FHI 360, a non-profit dedicated to improving lives through locally-driven solutions, to implement a community-led program around reproductive health designed to improve the education, health, and economic future of students in Malawi.
In Malawi, systemic gender inequalities hold girls back in a variety of ways, particularly when it comes to education and sexual health. Forty-six percent of children in Malawi do not finish primary school, while 42% of Malawian girls are married by age 18. Adolescent girls and young women also face a disproportionate risk of acquiring HIV as well as shouldering the burden of care and support for those living with HIV in Malawi. By distributing 70% of Buffalo Bicycles to girl students and offering strong, group-based mentorship programs, the World Bicycle Relief community can help girls achieve their educational dreams, build self-esteem, and break the cycle of poverty and HIV.
“A quality bicycle can have a transformational impact on students in Malawi where the average journey to school ranges from three to ten kilometers,” said World Bicycle Relief CEO Dave Neiswander. “By utilizing the bicycle to increase access to educational health programs as well, we hope to not only improve academic performance and attendance, but to ensure bright futures for these students.”
Access to a high-quality bicycle can reduce a child’s commute time to school by up to 75% and dramatically changes educational, health and economic outcomes. Specifically, a bicycle can help students overcome distance, time, and safety barriers to completing their education, gain independent access to reproductive health counseling and services, and also improve attendance, retention, and academic performance. World Bicycle Relief’s Bicycles for Educational Empowerment Program (BEEP), which launched in Malawi in 2016, has so far mobilized 3,100 students in Malawi with durable, reliable Buffalo Bicycles to help them complete their education.
Help spread the word. Sign up to fundraise. Share our Wheels in the Field: Malawi – Breaking the Cycle campaign on social media. Together, we can reach our goal of providing 3,400 more bicycles and brighter futures for Malawian students. Together, we can make a world of difference.
To get involved, visit: https://worldbicyclerelief.org/break-the-cycle
About World Bicycle Relief
Founded in 2005, World Bicycle Relief mobilizes people through The Power of Bicycles®. World Bicycle Relief accomplishes its mission by distributing specially-designed, high-quality bicycles through philanthropic and social enterprise programs. These purpose-designed bicycles are built to withstand the challenging terrain and conditions in rural, developing areas. Entrepreneurs use the bicycles to increase productivity and profits. Students attend class more regularly and their academic performances improve. And, healthcare workers visit more patients in less time, providing better, more consistent care. World Bicycle Relief also promotes local economies and long-term sustainability by assembling bicycles locally and training field mechanics to service the bicycles. To date, World Bicycle Relief has delivered over 400,000 bicycles and trained over 1,900 field mechanics in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. World Bicycle Relief is a registered nonprofit in USA, Canada, U.K., Australia and Germany, and has assembly facilities in Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
For more information, please visit: http://worldbicyclerelief.org.
Follow World Bicycle Relief on Twitter @PowerOfBicycles and Instagram @WorldBicycleRelief and Like them at facebook.com/worldbicyclerelief.
