We reported last year on the Kona AfricaBike program where Kona donated a bike to HIV/AIDS workers in Africa for every two bikes purchased. The bikes then go to help HIV/AIDS workers deliver medicine and also to help park rangers monitor and manage precious water supplies. Now those bikes are going to help kids in Gambia get to school and you can help.

With the help of the HopeFirst Foundation, Kona bikes is going to give 300 bikes to kids that have the furthest to travel to school in Gambia. The bikes will all go to middle schoolers, many of which have to travel up to 12 miles a day just to get to school because there is no access to public transportation.

The bikes themselves will either be given or loaned out to students and the school headmasters will be responsible for maintenance. Girls have the most to gain from getting these bikes, as often they are harrassed and even raped on their way to school. Girls are also looked down on and kept out of school to do chores. If the commute is shortened thanks to a bike, it is more likely the girls will be allowed to attend school more often.

The Kona AfricaBikes are specifically designed to be light-weight, unbelievably durable, and easy to maintain. Basically, the bikes are built to go wherever needed, including off-road through dirt, rocks and mud. If you want to find out more about the AfricaBikes or about Kona bikes in general, check them out online at Kona AfricaBikes