On 10 March, 55 schoolchildren in Soweto received Qhubeka Buffalo Bicycles thanks to Dimension Data, in partnership with the City of Jo’burg. The bicycle distribution formed part of the ongoing Urban Scholar Bicycle Programme – a partnership between City of Jo’burg and Qhubeka, which aligns with the city’s goals of sustainable development and Qhubeka’s vision of building communities of excellence powered by bicycles. Here are some photos from the distribution event.
Rows of shiny new Qhubeka Buffalo Bicycles stand ready for their recipients.
Michael (in orange) drills the bicycle recipients on basic safety and maintenance.
Albi Breen, Sales Executive for Dimension Data MEA, welcomes bicycle recipients to the stage one by one.
Bicycle recipients get some help fitting their new helmets for the first time.
A young bicycle recipient expresses her approval with a simple thumbs-up as she gets ready to take her first ride.
This look of joy says it all!
Bicycle recipients can’t wait to try out their new wheels!
Lots of excitement among the learners as they receive their new Qhubeka Buffalo Bicycles from Dimension Data.
Three young women pose with one of the new bicycles.
It’s not long before the bicycle recipients have the hang of riding.
A quick group shot at the school before learners ride home after the distribution ceremony.
Some learners at the school had previously received bicycles, such as Nompumelelo, a Grade 10 pupil (pictured below). “The best thing about having my bicycle is that it helps me lose weight and get to school early,” she sais, when asked about how the bicycle has changed her life over the past six months. “I got the bicycle in August 2015 and now I am always early. My absenteeism is less too.”
“These bicycles are more than just a tool,” says Handson Mlotshwa, Grade 9 English teacher at Noordgesig Secondary School (also pictured below with Nompumelelo). “They are a form of educational technology that aids learning at school in a different way from conventional classroom tools. We see the changes the bicycles make in the lives of our learners and we appreciate them.”
2015 bicycle recipient, Nompumelelo, with Given Mogale and Handson Mlotshwa.