A nongovernmental organisation, Friends of Adaklu, has commenced distribution of 100 bicycles to selected beneficiaries in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region.
The initiative christened ‘Pedal to Excellence’, is aimed at enhancing access to education, promoting healthy living, reducing travel time to and from school and ultimately improving academic performance.
100 out of the 1,015 pupils who live in the hinterlands and walk to and from school in the district would be provided with these bikes to aid their journey to school.
Selected pupils from Gbekor Senior High School, Dawanu, Goefe, Avelebe, Hehekpe, Henakope Basic Schools, and Goefe Junior High School would benefit from the distribution.
Addressing a gathering at the launch of the programme, the Country Representative of Friends of Adaklu, Stella Kudah disclosed that the initiative was birthed out of a Pen Pal Programme between Goefe Junior High School students and The Academy in Berkeley, California.
She said pupils of The Academy got to learn about how their friends who live in satellite communities walk long distances to school, which affects their education.
She added that the pupils therefore, raised $15,275 with support from their parents and teachers to procure 100 bicycles to be distributed to their friends in the Adaklu District.
Madam Kudah said part of the fund would be used to maintain the bicycles for a year and finance the Pen Pal and Girls Who Code programme.
“As an organisation, we recognise the importance of supporting our pupils’ education and overall development, and we know that access to transportation is an essential factor in this regard.
“By providing these bicycles, we are not only promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles, but also helping our pupils to improve their academic performance by ensuring that they arrive at school on time, and are better able to focus on their studies”, she said.
The Volta Regional Director of Education, Francis Yaw Agbemadi lauded the contributions of Friends of Adaklu to improve the standard of education in the Adaklu District.
He implored beneficiaries to make good use of the bicycles “to achieve the main aim of increasing participation and access to education”.
He lamented the poor performance of the region on the national league table and appealed to stakeholders to support the regional education directorate to implement policies toward improving the standard of education in the region.
The Dufia of Adaklu Tsrefe, Togbe Edem III, implored parents of the beneficiaries not to use the bicycles for personal errands instead of their intended purpose.
He also implored parents to play their roles in supporting and providing the educational needs of their children to warrant a better future for the Adaklu District.
He expressed disgust at the increasing incidents of the use of cannabis among pupils and called on parents to monitor their children to prevent them from falling prey to peer pressure to engage in vices.
Friends of Adaklu has over the years provided supplementary education materials and scholarships to some pupils.
The organisation also made available requisite information, farm tools and other services to enhance yields of beneficiaries to economically empower them.
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