Initiative aims to get bicycles for NC pupils

HE WAS surprised to see children walking long distances to school and so started a crowd-funding initiative to get children from the Northern Cape bicycles.

Joseph Payne, 21, from Georgia in the US started his initiative after spending weeks at a rural development agency during an internship programme. Cape Town-based Dockda focuses on rural areas with limited resources and no government funding. Through several community projects, they help uplift rural villagers in the Northern Cape.

After joining Dockda in early June, Payne saw children walking kilometres to school without any adult supervision. Some children didn’t even have shoes.

He quickly found out from the community that violence and kidnapping is a daily fear.

Haunted by a feeling of helplessness, Payne decided to create a crowd-funding initiative called Backabuddy.

“The children of the Northern Cape have so many disadvantages, not least of which is poor access to education. The bicycles will help children get to school faster and easier, improving their academic achievement and decreasing their risk to violence,” said Payne.

To raise funds, he plans to walk in the shoes of the children he is fund-raising for, by climbing Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain, and Lion’s Head, a total distance of 15km (the average distance these children walk on a daily basis) on July 22.

The aim is to raise funds to buy at least five bicycles to empower a few children to get to school safely every day. One bicycle, including transport to Kuruman costs R3 700.

If you would like to support Payne to provide children in the Northern Cape with transport to school, donate to his Crowdfunding Campaign on Backabuddy: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/ champion/project/hiking-for-cycling-to-education.

Alternatively contact Dockda at 021 685 1236 or Backabuddy marketing officer Zane Groenewald on 082 602 0735.