For many learners in rural Vhembe, the daily walk to school can stretch for several kilometres. For 236 pupils from three schools in the district, that journey is expected to become much easier after they received bicycles through the Shovakalula Bicycle Project, an initiative aimed at assisting learners who travel long distances to and from school.
The bicycles were handed over by the Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violet Susan Mathye, during a ceremony on Monday, 22 June.
The ceremony was attended by Makhado Local Municipality Mayor Dorcus Mboi, Acting Vhembe District Municipality Mayor Rose Mathukha and Acting Head of Department Paul Mainganye.
The bicycles were distributed among learners from three schools in the district. Tshiitwa Secondary School and Lumuka Secondary School each received 100 bicycles, while Mara Combined School received 36.
Mathye said the initiative was aimed at improving access to education and addressing the mobility challenges faced by learners in rural communities.
“We have seen how difficult it is for learners to walk long distances every day. This programme is meant to restore dignity, improve punctuality and ensure that no child is left behind because of transport challenges,” she said.
The department said the bicycles were allocated equally to deserving boys and girls to ensure equal opportunities for all beneficiaries. It added that the Shovakalula Bicycle Project forms part of its broader commitment to improving access to education and strengthening rural mobility across Limpopo.