Starehe Boys Students Cycle 1,100 km to Raise Funds for Needy Learners
- For the next 18 days, a group of 10 students will be cycling across the country with a mission to raise funds to support needy learners at Starehe Boys Centre
- The initiative, which started in Busia, is expected to end in Mombasa, a distance of 1,100 kilometres
- Starehe Boys Centre deputy director Evans Njoro explained the importance of the cycling initiative dubbed Starehe Bikerthon
Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with TUKO. Enroll Now!
A group of 10 students from Starehe Boys Centre has embarked on a mission that seeks to raise funds to support needy students at the school.
Source: Original
The students are targeting to cycle at least 1,100 kilometres from Busia to Mombasa as part of the initiative.
According to Starehe Boys Centre deputy director Evans Njoro, the 18-day campaign, dubbed Starehe Bikerthon, is supported by the school’s alumni and well-wishers.
The students made a stopover in Eldoret, August 5.
“We are cycling to make sure that no student misses the chance to study at Starehe Boys Centre for lack of school fees,” said Sifa Benson, one of the students.
Funds raised from the initiative will support the Griffin Memorial Endowment Trust, which provides financial aid to brilliant but underprivileged learners at the national school.
“This ride is not just about fitness or adventure. It’s a symbolic gesture to amplify the legacy of our founder, Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin, and to remind Kenyans that his vision of giving needy boys a chance at quality education is still alive 66 years later,” the school’s deputy director said.
How many students have benefited from Griffin Memorial Endowment Trust?
Since the establishment of the Griffin Memorial Edowment Trust, over 16,000 students have been supported. This year’s Starehe Bikerthon is expected to be the first of many series yet to come.
Njoro said next year, they intend to conduct a similar campaign but with the added goal of directly fundraising for incoming students who need full sponsorship.
The students began their journey in Busia and made a stopover in Bungoma. The second day saw them cycle to Eldoret city.
They are expected to cycle through Kericho, Bomet, Narok, Nairobi, and eventually Likoni, Mombasa, which is their final destination.
Challenges facing students in Starehe Bikerthon
The ride has not been easy, as explained by Geoffrey Wangila, an alumnus of the institution who is part of the cycling team.
Source: Original
Despite the challenges, morale remains high, and the learners are determined to complete the journey.
“We have faced environmental changes and unpredictable weather, which caused a student to feel unwell. Also, cycling along public roads is risky. Not all drivers respect traffic rules, and that puts the boys in danger,” Wangila said.
“This is not just a ride, it's a call to action. We urge alumni and well-wishers to support the cyclists in every stopover town, and most importantly, to donate to the Griffin Endowment Trust,” he added.
About 70 per cent of students at Starehe Boys Centre come from low-income backgrounds. Many are supported by the Griffin Memorial Endowment Trust.
How did Caleb Amisi report to Starehe Boys?
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi recounted how he reported to Starehe Boys Centre barefooted.
The legislator also narrated the difficulties he faced in accessing education after the death of his parents.
He said the parents died when he was only two months old, and he had to be raised by his grandmother.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: Joshua.cheloti@tuko.co.ke
Edmond Kipngeno Edmond Kipngeno is a trained multimedia journalist with over 6 years of experience in the media industry. Edmond is currently the TUKO.co.ke correspondent based in Uasin Gishu county,
