Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy (The name Velokhaya is derived from two words – the French word for cycling (velo) and the Xhosa word for home (khaya)
This project's parent organization is Life Cycling Academy
It operates in South Africa
It uses Cycling
Entered the Sport For Social Inclusion Award
More about Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy (The name Velokhaya is derived from two words – the French word for cycling (velo) and the Xhosa word for home (khaya)
The upliftment and empowerment of young children living in South Africa’s poorest communities remains one of the South Africa’s biggest challenges. Currently, more than 50% of South Africa’s entire population is said to be under the age of 25 and a large percentage of these young people live in areas affected by poverty and high unemployment. A recent report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the SA Human Rights Commission showed that 64% or 11.9 million of South Africa’s 18.6 million children live in poverty. By participating in sport, children from these communities are given the opportunity to build self-confidence and learn valuable life skills (such as determination, dedication, commitment etc).
Not only do these skills help them deal with the difficulties they face, but they also encourage them to rise above the challenges of their environment, namely poverty, crime, substance abuse etc. The success achieved by two of our cyclists (Luthando and Songezo) who have graduated from our program and who have made cycling a lucrative career, serve as inspiration to their peers. Songezo and Luthando are proof that children from these communities can overcome personal challenges and achieve their dreams.