Chiredzi, Zimbabwe — Rejoice Muzamani is studying in preparation for her next paper during the end-of-term examinations at Mwenje Primary School in Chiredzi, southeast Zimbabwe.
The 13-year-old girl, who is in Grade 7 or final year of primary school, is not worried about leaving school early to make the 7-kilometer journey back home before dusk, risking attacks from wild animals.
Muzamani, who stays with her grandmother as her parents live in neighboring South Africa, will still get there in time because she will pedal the narrow dirt unpaved road in this part of Masvingo Province.
"I get to school on time and I do not have to miss any lessons," she tells IPS, adding that though it was her first time owning a bicycle, learning how to ride it was easier with the help of her friends.
"I also go home on schedule, sparing enough time to do my homework."
Built for long distances and rugged terrain, the Buffalo bicycles help keep vulnerable girls in schools in rural areas.
Muzamani, who got hers in mid-2021, is one of the more than 62,248 students in Zimbabwe who have been given bicycles since 2009 by a United States-based charity, World Bicycle Relief.
About 70% of these are girls.
Born into a family of five, Muzamani lives in one of the remotest and poorest regions in Zimbabwe, with insufficient schools forcing many to walk up to 20 kilometres to get to the nearest school.
Girls face a myriad of challenges as they pursue their education in rural Zimbabwe.
As a young girl, Muzamani, as part of the tradition, is expected to do house chores--cooking for the family and cleaning the house.
This takes most of her time and she cannot afford to lose more time when walking long distances to school.
Attacks from hyenas are also a threat to these girls in rural areas surrounded by game reserves.
"I used to be late and miss classes. I felt low. Despite waking up early in the morning, it was tough to get to school on time because of the house chores," Muzamani says.
"I remember one day in winter, it was so dark that I was afraid to go to school. I started walking along with others. I also could not do homework because we had no electricity. I have to be home early and use daylight."
Faith Machavi, a learner at Mwenje Dumisani Secondary, says some of her friends dropped out of school while some got married early because of long distances to school.
"I remember when I was still in primary school, I almost gave up. I told my mom that I was tired and I could not do this anymore. Walking to school daily against the background of being a girl child expected to do all the house chores is demoralizing," she says, adding that her desire to be a lawyer kept her going.
"At some point, I could stay in the bush until others get dismissed and join them going back home."
Machavi, who is preparing to write for her Ordinary Level final examinations this October, received a bicycle in 2022 after paying a small fee of less than USD 5.
"I was so happy. It was a relief," she says, adding that she had learnt to ride a bicycle a few years earlier from other privileged children in the village.
Born into a family of five, Machavi no longer has to walk more than 5 kilometres to get to school.
She is not missing classes or feeling cramps anymore.
Child rights activists say education is a haven for girls.
Maxim Murungweni, a Zimbabwean child rights expert, says bicycles help girls access education.
"The bicycle initiative for girls does not only improve their mobility but also empowers the girls psychologically as well, giving them the ability to manage their day-to-day activities, as now they can plan knowing that they have the mobility to maneuver around," he says.
Even though Zimbabwe outlawed child marriages in 2016 in a landmark ruling by the constitutional court, some of the existing laws were yet to be aligned to the country's constitution.
But in May 2022, President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law the Marriages Act, which prohibits the marriage of minors under the age of 18.
In Zimbabwe, one woman out of three is married before reaching adulthood, and more than one out of five adolescents give birth, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.
Child marriages have devastating effects on girls, including dropping out of school and early pregnancies.
Sean Granville-Ross, executive director of programs at World Bicycle Relief, says this education-focused initiative is crucial for girls in Zimbabwe, where many face daily commutes of three to ten kilometers to reach school.
"This distance leads to significant dropout rates, especially for girls, due to safety concerns, exhaustion, and the risk of child marriage. Bicycles help reduce travel time, increase attendance, and enhance feelings of safety, with a 35 percent reduction in days late to school and a 35 percent increase in students feeling safer while traveling," Sean Granville-Ross tells IPS.
"For girls, this means more opportunities to stay in school, pursue higher education, and avoid early marriage and pregnancy. By empowering girls with bicycles, we are not only improving their access to education but also providing a tool for broader community development, as bicycles are often used by their families for economic and household activities."
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Machavi, who is a junior councillor in this community, says many of her friends were married before reaching the legal marriage age.
"Most of my classmates who were married early are now being abused. I educate others on the impact of child marriages. Bicycles ensure girls stay in school. There is a policy that you cannot take out your bicycles during working hours without clearance. This means no loitering with boys from the community during school time," she says.
Murungweni says they continue to encourage the government and other development partners to scale up such initiatives that help marginalised girls have easy access to education by improving their mobility.
Granville-Ross says they plan to expand the initiative to reach more girls across Zimbabwe in the next three years.
Muzamani, whose bicycle is maintained for free at school, says after completing her secondary school she wants to study accounting at university.
"To be an accountant is one of my dreams," she says.
IPS UN Bureau Report
