Beasts of Burden

During an Endline Data Collection Survey session at Reliew Secondary School we met Mary, a single-mom and dressmaker, whose daughters attend the school. While collecting formal findings from 2015 thru 2016 about the distance students travel to and from school, the regularity of attendance, their performance that year and issues with the bicycle; we also learned of the dramatic economic savings that had benefitted Mary’s family.

“My daughter Jane is using the bicycle and coming to school on time. I am using it when I go to collect water. The jugs are wrapped with a rope, we tighten them down and just do it.” The bicycle keeps Mary from having to shell out hard earned shillings to meet basic needs. “We use the bicycle for transporting maize from the shamba (farm, field, plot) instead of paying 200 KSH ($2) for things like donkey transport.” 

Mary’s girls now move their maize, potatoes and water via bicycle rather than going by donkey. The Buffalo Bicycle can carry 1/2 of a sack of vegetables at a time, which weighs 50kgs (110 lbs.). It can carry two to four water jugs. When carrying a half bag or two jugs the girls ride. If they choose to carry four jugs, they push the bike like it is a cart. Pushing a bicycle is much easier than pushing a donkey. Either way, two trips or a heavy load, the bicycle is still faster.

Jane rides into town for errands too. While passing expensive talkative boda-boda drivers she can stop by her local field mechanic, Richard, who taught her how to pump up her own tires when need be. Mary’s mom sums it up best, “The donkey is okay. The bicycle is VERY good.”