Beyond Bikes Association
Beyond Bikes Association (BBA) is a Sentebale initiative that was started as part of our education programme to provide vocational training skills to orphans and vulnerable children. We set up BBA following an offer from the UK charity Re-Cycle to donate old bikes for use in Lesotho. It is now an independent charity that we are supporting to provide vocational training skills to teenagers.
BBA holds vocational training skills workshops for teenagers that will equip them to be entrepreneurs with maintenance expertise and cycling and basic life skills. As well as providing an opportunity to change these childrens lives, this programme will also benefit local industry and generate income.
The first three week workshop was held at the end of August 2009; ten students were trained in bicycle riding, repair and maintenance as well as business skills on basic book keeping and money management. Health and Hygiene training was also included thanks to the Baylor Clinic with a special focus on HIV/AIDS.
There has been strong support from the local community and businesses for BBA. We are now looking to provide jobs for our graduates by setting up tours for tourists, courier services, bicycle maintenance and repair services, wheelchair and bicycle adaptation and rickshaw services.
The first workshop was a great success with the graduates leaving with skills that they can use in the future. All of the students passed the course and have now repaired over 100 bikes; they say that "the course has changed their lives for the better".
© Sentebale 2010