Emilie Shimbali
D-Bikes, a bicycle repair and sales company, recently donated five bicycles to the Môreson Special School.
This was after a teacher at the school approached them to repair the school’s only two bikes.
D-Bikes decided to assist the school by fixing the two bicycles at no cost, and donating five more to facilitate cycling activities for the learners.
“It made us so sad to learn that a school with so many students only had two bicycles, so we thought we could help them by donating a few more as a start,” explained Antonio Mikolo, one of the staff members at D-Bikes.
Môreson is a special school in Khomasdal that serves over 100 learners with physical and mental disabilities, also known as cognitive impairment.
Anita Kreft, the school principal, said they wish to get more bikes, because they want to teach their learners to obey traffic rules and become more street wise.
“This makes me very happy. It is something I would like my children to do because it improves their fitness. Cycling is also a cardiovascular exercise and helps us with balancing skills. I need more donors to step in,” Kreft appealed.
Môreson learners were overjoyed at receiving the bikes and soon after the handover, were cycling around the school grounds with much joy.
“My learners really like bikes. Even when D-Bikes came to collect the other damaged bikes, it was a dramatic scene. They (learners) are, however, easy to handle, because they are very honest and if you treat them with love, they give it to you in return,” the principal said.
Apart from cycling, the school offers volleyball, netball, skateboarding and hockey.
David Augustu founded the bike repair company, also situated in Khomasdal, in 2014. It aims to incentivise cycling as a modality for schools to uplift the morale of the children, and keep them going with an indomitable spirit.
“We hope that our small gesture would motivate others to do more, if not the same,” Mikolo said.