ABC Impact Recognizes OBSM as an Ambassador for Children's Issues and Starts Cycling Club
"Now I am guaranteed to fulfill my dreams, thanks to my bike."
This week, O'Brien School was honored with guests from ABC Impact, the extension of ABC Bicycles that uses company profits to create a meaningful impact on communities. ABC Impact envisions Tanzanians able to live better livelihoods through the use of bicycles.
They met with our office staff, community leaders, teachers, and parents to acknowledge and appreciate the way we care for our students, and they chose our school as an ambassador who heartily advocates for and addresses the issues of children's affairs. They provided a signpost for our campus that says "O'Brien School for the Maasai, ABC Impact, and Velafrica remind you: Education is a light; Bicycles help you reach your dreams."
We are extremely honored by this recognition, and we thank our staff, our donors, and our partners like ABC Impact for supporting our mission to empower and inspire the next generation.
Cycling Club
In addition to this recognition, ABC Impact helped us establish a cycling club. ABC Impact chose students to lead this club, and they selected our Office Assistant and Translator, Mammy Lazaro, two teachers, and two parents to help. Because O'Brien School serves a rural area, many students have to travel long distances to school, which can affect attendance and safety, especially for girls.
Through our partnership, ABC Bicycles has provided 30 students with extremely affordable and discounted bicycles. We have also loaned students bicycles that have been generously donated to the school by donors and sent to Tanzania in our shipping containers. Not only are students getting reliable transportation, but they are learning how to fix and service their bicycles, learning the impact of bikes on simplifying work, and getting exercise. Students can also now participate in cycling competitions, teaching them sportsmanship.
Head Teacher Nimla Mbangu said: "Since we introduced this program, many children love coming to school and are no longer affected by the long distance. We have many more children who would like to participate in the cycling program, but their families cannot afford even the discounted bikes. That is why our donated bicycles are also so important because we can still support their talents in cycling competitions and make sure they get to school safely. In the future, we would love to have more bicycles to award to the best academic students. This will encourage all students to work hard in their studies as well as give everyone a chance to participate in the club."
Mammy spoke with some students who shared that having a bicycle means they can get to school early and safely, now that they are biking the long distance instead of walking. They told her that biking to school saves them time, which they can use for private studying, and having a secure way to get to school will guarantee that they can achieve their dreams.
