The bicycles will be sent to Gambia to help children attend school. Credit: kolaproafriku.cz.
Brno, Sep 9 (BD) – An old bicycle might be useless for some, but for others a way to a better life. Thanks to the Bicycles for Africa project, bicycles that are no longer used or wanted in the Czech Republic could find a new life in Gambia, bringing children closer to education. The collection, which will also be accepting other unused cycling equipment, will take place from 21-23 September in Pavilion Y at the Brno Exhibition Center.
“The Bikes for Africa project allows us to collect old bikes, repair them and send them to Gambia,” said Petr Kratochvíl, Brno city councillor for transport. “There, they will serve the students of participating schools, who often have to travel long distances. They will thus bring children closer to education. Some bicycles will also be distributed to disadvantaged children in the Czech Republic. It is also possible to bring other cycling equipment to the collection, which could still be used after repair.”
The collection at Pavilion Y will be open on 21 and 22 September from 2pm to 6pm, and on 23 September from 10am to 6pm. Each donor will receive a small reward in the form of a first aid kit, a reflective pendant or a bicycle bell.
In Gambia, MTB 26″ bikes with steel frames are the most suitable, but other types can also be used. Bicycles that are not suitable for use in the Gambian environment will be repaired in a social workshop in Ostrava and in a prison in Heřmanice, and sold via the charity e-shop www.kolaprokola.cz. The proceeds from the sale will help finance the entire project. In addition to children, the bicycles from the Czech Republic will also help Gambian adults, who will be trained in servicing and repairing the bicycles.
More information on the project is available on the website www.kolaproafriku.cz.
