Some learners at Kameme Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Chitipa District have commended World Vision Malawi for supporting them with push bicycles.
In an interview, a Form Four student Mainesi Mtambo said she comes from Nang’ambi Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kameme, eight kilometres away.
in Chitipa. | Joseph Mbughi
She said: “It was not easy covering eight kilometres to school. I did it for three years but it was not easy.
“I often arrived at school late, just the same as home. I thank World Vision now because with the bicycle, I reach school on time and I am able to concentrate in class.”
Mtambo encouraged fellow girls who also received a bicycle to work hard in class to achieve their goals.
Another student Cecelia Kapesa said learners who live far from the school were not participating in extracurricular activities because they were afraid of reaching home late.
“There are sporting activities in some days which require students to attend after classes. We now participate in these activities, courtesy of the bicycles,” she said.
The bicycle donation has also excited child protection committees in T/A Kameme who say girls who walk to school for such long distances are susceptible to abuse.
Kameme Child Protection Committee chairperson Jane Mubisa said the bicycles will protect girls from abuse.
“Walking long distances to school gives men opportunity to coax girls for sex in exchange for money. However, riding to school reduces such challenges,” she said.
On his part, Kameme CDSS head teacher Archibald Kapira said World Vision donated 10 bicycles to the school in 2024 to ease students’ mobility challenges.
“We have students who travel about eight kilometres to school. Such students always reached school tired and failed to concentrate in class,” he said.
