CITW Zambezi’s Cynthia Ndiweni reports on a life-changing donation for children who attend school in Sinde Village, near Livingstone and Wilderness Toka Leya.
For some learners at Twabuka Primary School in Zambia, getting to school means walking as far as 7 km each way. That is hours on foot every week, well before the school day has even begun. Journeys like these lead to missed days and learners who arrive too tired to focus. When Scott from Legendary World Travel visited the school with 18 of his clients, they saw this challenge first hand and were keen to help. At the time, Twabuka had around 257 learners. Roughly 100 of them needed a bicycle to get to school, but only 41 were available.
Thanks to the unhesitating generosity of Scott’s clients and Legendary World, the school has now received a further 33 bicycle sets, each complete with a helmet, spare tubes and a pump, bringing Twabuka’s total to 74 bicycles. Every new bicycle has been allocated to a learner in need, with priority given to those who live furthest from school. Each learner will keep their bicycle until they finish primary school, and it will then be passed on to another child with a long way to travel. This means the donation will help 33 children today and many more in the years to come. The school has also committed to promoting the responsible use, care and maintenance of the bicycles so they continue to serve learners for as long as possible.
The school has shared a heartfelt letter of thanks, and Head Teacher Milimo Chinimbwa wrote that the bicycles ‘are already proving to be a valuable resource in supporting our school system in several ways… learners who previously faced difficulties reaching school because of distance and transportation challenges can now benefit from improved mobility.’ He added that the donation ‘recognises that education goes beyond the provision of classroom instruction’ and closed with a simple message to everyone involve: ‘Thank you for investing in our learners and helping us build a brighter future for our children.’
A huge thank you to Scott, Legendary World Travel and their wonderful clients for this phenomenal gift. Shorter journeys mean more time in the classroom, more energy for learning, and a real difference for the families of Twabuka.
