There are charity bike rides, then there are extreme charity bike rides. I would put Down Right Kenya in the latter category.
What makes it so amazing is that the fund-raiser bike ride for the Harambee Schools Kenya starts in the UK and travels along two routes all the way to Kenya, a distance of 6,000 miles.
The 12 touring bicyclists (there's room for 20) are paying their own way and expect it will take them six months to complete the trek. They will carry everything; no sag. They're heading into a country that has been racked by civil strife.
3 teams
You can read biographies about all the cyclists at the bike tour's website. Adam Robinson, above left, for instance spent the past seven years working on nano magnets until he decided “it was time to get out a bit more.”
There are three teams leaving Cambridge University on Sept. 20; one is heading down through Italy and across to Libya while the other two are choosing individual routes along the Adriatic to Greece and Turkey. The plan is for all to hook up in Cairo then proceed to Kenya.
Raising funds
Along the way they'll schedule presentations at schools and elsewhere to raise funds and awareness about the Harambee Schools Kenya charity that builds and operates primary and secondary schools in rural Kenya.
The bicyclists are hoping to raise 60,000 pounds ($110,000 in US) to build a new primary school for 700 pupils. Each bicyclist is responsible for raising $5,500.
Aside from the sheer magnitude of taking on a 6,000-mile bike tour, the bicyclists are heading into a troubled country. We wish them safe passage.
Kenya has been in the news lately after a presidential election in December sparked bloodshed that an estimated 1,500 people their lives. A power-sharing agreement between two factions has stabilized the situation, but what will be the case 6 months from now?
Giving
The bicycle tour's patron is Nobel Peace Prize winner the Rev. Desmond Tutu. He said in a press release:
“Down Right Kenya is an exciting and innovative project to help rural communities build schools and improve education standards. Education is a fundamental human right and is the best way of eradicating poverty. Support Down Right Kenya enthusiastically and generously.”
If you'd like to donate, check out the Down Right Kenya website and look for the “Just Giving” tab.
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