Bicycles in Sitima

Sitima is a large rural parish, covering 40 square miles, yet it is served by just one tarmac road. Other than this, people rely on a fragile network of dirt tracks that shift with the seasons often washed away by heavy rains or baked hard and uneven under the relentless sun.

For most families, walking is the only way to get around. Children set out early each morning on long journeys to school, often walking for an hour or more each way. By the time lessons begin, many arrive tired and hungry, struggling to concentrate, putting their education at risk even before the school day has begun.

Access to healthcare is equally challenging. When someone falls ill, reaching a clinic can mean hours of walking or the difficult task of finding a lift on a bicycle or paying for a bike taxi. For expectant mothers, the elderly, or those who are seriously unwell, these distances can turn routine health needs into urgent and potentially dangerous situations.

In Sitima, bicycles are more than a means of transport, they are a lifeline. In fact the bike taxi is the only form of public transport available, helping people reach  markets and clinics when they otherwise might not be able to at all.

For many people, when they begin earning an income, their first major purchase is a bicycle. These bicycles are not only a source of mobility but also a pathway to survival, often used to start small businesses, such as collecting and selling firewood.

For our volunteers, bicycles are always available, and many choose to use them not only to travel to and from their place of work, but also to take in the beauty of the surrounding landscape and experience Sitima at a gentler pace.