A post-man that rode his bike through the township of Khayelitsha, began an NGO that was aimed to teach kids on how to ride BMX and road bikes. He got his first 10 bikes donated and refurbished them by reading old bike manuals.
I was not expecting to wander into a BMX park in the middle of a township, much less an NGO that has produced world-class professional riders.
The name of the NGO is Velokhaya, Cycling with a Purpose. The name derives from the French word ‘velo’ (meaning bicycle) and the Xhosa word ‘khaya’ (meaning home). The NGO’s mission to make cycling more accessible to disadvantaged kids living in South Africa’s poorest of communities.
Velokhaya was piloted in July of 2007 in London by Team CSC, what was at the time the number one cycling team in the world.
Hundreds of kids have participated in the program, many who launched professional careers in cycling.
At the moment, one of Velokhaya’s 12-year-old girls is number one in her BMX division.
Visit Velokhaya
Visit Velokhaya
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