In most African countries, if a school girl becomes pregnant she is harshly judged. The stigma that follows can lead to depression and feelings of failure. Thoughts on one’s future feel predetermined  – chances of succeeding seem nil. Stella’s is a story of determination to overcome these stereotypes. Instead, she breathes life into her aspirations. Stella proves pregnancy isn’t a permanent condition, but that a girl in her position can excel – even become a role model for her community.

Alice Takoberwa is a 43-year-old widow and mother of two. Alice saw her husband die from HIV-related complications. The pain of losing a loved one paired with the stigma of single parenting drove Alice to join Kadama Widows Association in Budaka, Uganda. There she found a group of like-minded volunteers committed to saving their community from the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

For many at Our Lady Queen of Peace Secondary School in Western Kenya, making ends meet is a daily struggle. Students quietly endure, suffering silently and working patiently, hoping that one day their education will transform their lives and the lives of their families. Phoebe and Eunice are two young girls who want to overcome their circumstances and rewrite their destinies. “These are special girls who have a story worth sharing,” says Louise, their guidance counselor.

The following field mechanic stories were gathered while visiting Malaha Dispensary and Health Care Clinic in Mumias County, Western Kenya. Malaha Clinic has partnered with Africa Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) to provide Buffalo Bicycles to its Community Health Workers.

Theepika, now 21 years-old, just graduated from nursing school in October. She is still riding the bike she received in 6th grade from World Bicycle Relief. She remembers how she felt the day she received her bike. I thought, I got a very big thing! I used it for school and evening classes up to 11th grade. My father took the bicycle to the seashore for fishing. My relatives used it, too.

On a bustling day in the industrial center of Harare, Zimbabwe, 27-year old single mother Charity Msendo walked up to the Buffalo Bicycles Headquarters, having traveled 80 miles from her home town. Pulling $160 ragged single dollar bills out of her pocket, she bought her family a Buffalo Bicycle.

Krishanthini, 19, is studying in a nursing course, one year behind Dilshani and Theepika. Like her girlfriends, Krishanthini is a sports enthusiast. She loves sports and, with the bike she received after the tsunami, she could return to kabaddi and volleyball practices regularly. Before she received the bike, her family could not pay the 3-wheeler (taxi) fare to attend competitive meets that were beyond walking distance from home.

Luisa Ramos is somewhat of an anomaly. She’s 16, married, living at home and still attending school. Many girls leave school once they marry, but not Luisa. Maximo, her dedicated father, is a leader of the Supervisory Committee for the Bicycles for Educational Empowerment Program (BEEP) at Luisa’s school. The ever clever man was able to find a way to ensure his daughter would continue her education even with her new title as a wife.

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.