Bike Rental: A Game Changer to Attain Education

Ekwendeni CDSS Students pose with the new bikes

The Bike Rental has emerged as a pathbreaker initiative, paving the way for improved educational access for marginalized students walking distances beyond the recommended 8 kilometers to school.

This observation follows Ulalo's collaboration with the Globalance NGO, culminating in the delivery of 100 bicycles across four new Community Day Secondary Schools (Ekwendeni, Choma, Luzi, Engucwini) and additional bikes to Enukweni, bringing smiles to the faces of students across the target schools. This expansion, now reaching a total of seven schools, has already begun to yield tangible results, effectively addressing the challenges students face in accessing education.

Among the four Community Day Secondary Schools benefitting from the latest phase, Luzi, Choma, and Engucwini each received 20 bicycles, while Ekwendeni CDSS was granted 25 and Enukweni CDSS received additional 15 bicycles.

Jovial, Choma get their bikes

Binala Lusale, the Headteacher at Enukweni CDSS, emphasized the project's transformative impact, stating, "This initiative is a game changer, significantly reducing the distances students previously walked to access their right to education. This is a key that will unlock paths that students were failing to unlock, they walk long distances that most of the times affect their education process,” said Lusale.        

On his part, Ulalo Executive Director James Gondwe, echoed these sentiments, underlining the initiative’s essential role in addressing the persistent challenge of long distances students walk. " It’s amazing to see how the project is expanding, it directly confronts the obstacles that impede students' regular attendance, ultimately curbing dropout rates and fostering improved educational outcomes," Gondwe remarked.

The Bike Rental centers on mitigating mobility and financial constraints faced by secondary school students in rural Malawi, aiming to enhance their access to educational facilities by providing bicycles through a sustainable model that includes provisions for maintenance and repairs.