San benefit from continental bike tour

A group of over 60 cyclists have once again taken part in the Tour D’Afrique, which passes through eight countries from Cairo to Cape Town, covering 12 000 km.

This annual bicycle race challenges everyone from elite cyclists, who use it as a training event, to adventurous leisure cyclists who treat the ride as a personal challenge and experience of a lifetime. Riders are encouraged to use the journey as a charity fundraising opportunity and each year the Rotary Club of Leusden in the Netherlands raises money to sponsor bikes for community organisations.Last year, Namibian HIV-AIDS home-based care volunteers received bicycles through the ride.This year, 10 bicycles were donated to San communities.The Bicycling Network Namibia (BEN) together with WIMSA, the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa, identified a number of worthy beneficiaries.The bicycles were all refurbished in BEN Namibia’s workshop in Windhoek before they were divided among urban and rural beneficiaries.San tertiary students studying in Windhoek will use them to ride from home to Unam, saving on transport costs.San community leaders in remote areas will also benefit, enabling them to disseminate information and address community needs on a more regular basis.Many San communities suffer from poor access to transport and communications.BEN Namibia has been in operation for a year and has donated many bicycles to rural communities.Most of the beneficiaries work with HIV-AIDS sufferers and the bicycles are a welcome form of transport, as the home-based caregivers need to cover great distances to take care of their communities.Riders are encouraged to use the journey as a charity fundraising opportunity and each year the Rotary Club of Leusden in the Netherlands raises money to sponsor bikes for community organisations.Last year, Namibian HIV-AIDS home-based care volunteers received bicycles through the ride.This year, 10 bicycles were donated to San communities.The Bicycling Network Namibia (BEN) together with WIMSA, the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa, identified a number of worthy beneficiaries.The bicycles were all refurbished in BEN Namibia’s workshop in Windhoek before they were divided among urban and rural beneficiaries.San tertiary students studying in Windhoek will use them to ride from home to Unam, saving on transport costs.San community leaders in remote areas will also benefit, enabling them to disseminate information and address community needs on a more regular basis.Many San communities suffer from poor access to transport and communications.BEN Namibia has been in operation for a year and has donated many bicycles to rural communities.Most of the beneficiaries work with HIV-AIDS sufferers and the bicycles are a welcome form of transport, as the home-based caregivers need to cover great distances to take care of their communities.