08 Nov 2011 PPA assists Visserhok Primary learners
Pedal Power Assotiation staff members Jannis Jagger and Elizabeth Robbins last week ventured out to Vissershok Primary School near Durbanville to hand over ten brand-new mountain bicycles on behalf of PPA as part of PPA’s annual project funding initiative.
The initiative formed part of funding which the Association is providing to the Kinetics Cycling Club.
Learners received bicycles and helmets
“The learners of Vissershok Primary live mostly on the surrounding farms, but some live up to 20km away from the school in extreme poverty” commented Mr Lefleur , a teacher at Vissershok Primary. These children often spend hours walking to and from school. For them, being given a bicycle for commuting was a dream come true.
Happy learners from Vissershok Primary with their new bicycles
Kinetic Cycling Club, which is part of the PPA development program, will be nurturing and assisting the selected learners to be part of their cycling community andwill also be introducing them to funrides. Glen Bonthys from Kinetic CC will train the riders until he deems them ready for the various Funrides. “I have never seen such grateful and humble children. Many live in tiny rooms with their families and sleep on the floor. They have nothing, and to them these bicycles mean the world,” he said.
In all, PPA has allocated R1 850 000 to support 39 cycling-related projects over the next year, bringing the funding spent on cycling projects over the last four years to a total approximately R7 million, spread over 120 cycling-related projects.
“We are in the fortunate position that the Pedal Power Association and the Rotary Club of Claremont are the beneficiaries of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, who organises, amongst others, the annual Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. The PPA uses any profits received in this way to run the Association, and, in 2011-2012, will plough over R1,85 million into cycling projects such as this one,” explained the current PPA Chairman, Steve Hayward.
For more information please see the projects section on the PPA website.