Since they began in 1997, 60,000 bikes generously donated by people in the UK, have now been sent by Re~Cycle to Africa where they have changed and continue to change people’s lives.
The new owner of the 60,000th bike is Stephen, aged 16 in South West Kenya. Here’s Stephen’s story…
Stephen was orphaned aged 2 years old and raised by his Great Uncle and his wife who had ten of their own children. Stephen was well behaved in school and studied hard, but when his Great Uncle passed away when he was aged 10, Stephen began to have troubles at home and became very unhappy. He left home and spent a year living on the streets, surviving by collecting scrap metal and plastic and selling it.
Stephen began attending a street soccer program, run by Re~Cycle’s partner organisation in Kenya, Glad’s House. Through Glad’s House he received drop in support and later school classes and counselling sessions. These programs are funded through sales of bikes from Re~Cycle to members of the local community.
Stephen was fostered by one of Glad’s House bike mechanics and her family and has started to get his life back on track. He was given a bike from Re~Cycle by Glad’s House and now uses it to get to and from his new school. He is working hard at school and his future looks bright.
For every single person who completes one of Ride25’s cycling tours, Ride25 will donate £20 to Re~Cycle to get a bike to Africa. Research has shown that each bike donated by Re~Cycle is used by an average of six people in Africa, usually family members. So every bike Re~Cycle provides can transform six people’s lives.
You can join the Re~Cycle team taking part in Ride25’s challenge ride from Geneva to Milan on September 19th 2015. For a fully funded place on the team you need to commit to a fundraising target of £1,700 for Re~Cycle. SIGN UP HERE
Watch the latest Re~Cycle video here:
For more information about Re~Cycle please visit www.re-cycle.org or like the Re~Cycle facebook page at www.facebook.com/bicyclecharity
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