‘Bicycles key for inclusive growth’
World Bicycle Relief country director Anthony Kunaid says bicycles are a good form of transport for people in rural areas.
Speaking on Saturday during World Bicycle Day commemorations at Njewa in Lilongwe, he emphasised that bicycles can spur inclusive economic growth as they ease people’s mobility challenges in accessing essential services such as education, healthcare, markets and other critical services.
Kunaid said: “We are celebrating the idea that people on two wheels can change the world. I, therefore, want to take this opportunity to implore people in the country [especially in rural areas] to take cycling as their solution to transport issues which is also cost-efficient.
“Not only that, the bicycle has the power to disrupt chronic generational poverty in rural areas where learners struggle to access education.”
World Bicycle Relief is among major bicycle donors for rural secondary school learners in the country.
In 2022, the organisation donated 6 692 bicycles to rural schools in Kasungu, Lilongwe and Zomba districts.
In an interview, one of the beneficiaries, Priscilla Kamanga, a Form Two student at Njewa Community Day Secondary School, said she used to walk a long distance to school before she received a bicycle from the organisation.
She said: “The buffalo bicycles are very good to ride, especially when travelling long distances over rugged terrain with heavy cargo.
“With the bicycle, I am able to carry my friends to and from school getting tired. It also helps my parents, who are farmers, to deliver their produce to markets on time .”
The United Nations (UN) designated June 3 as World Bicycle Day to underline benefits of bicycles.
According to the UN, bicycles contribute to cleaner air and less congestion while making social services more accessible to the most vulnerable populations.
In Malawi, the day was marked by bicycle enthusiasts getting free bike maintenance lessons while guests took a ride to experience the bufalo bicycles.
