Smile is a 14-year-old student in Zimbabwe. Her favourite subject is maths, and she wants to be an accountant one day. Each morning, Smile would perform her chores before walking 4 km to and from school. She would often arrive at school tired and have trouble paying attention.

Then, Smile got a Buffalo Bicycle. This durable and reliable bike is built for areas like rural Zimbabwe – it has strong brakes for all-weather reliability, a rugged frame that’s easy to repair locally and puncture-resistant tyres that help ensure that Smile doesn’t get a flat on her way to class.

“When I received the bicycle, I felt excited.” she says. “It helped me get to school earlier and quicker before lessons started.”

Now, Smile rides around 210 km per month, saving her priceless time and immeasurable energy. And every time she hops on her bike and rides to and from school, her future gets a little brighter.

“I dream that other children can get a bicycle so they can overcome distances and go to school every day,” Smile says.

According to a study by World Bicycle Relief, providing girls in rural regions with a bicycle reduced absenteeism at school by 28%, increased punctuality by 66% and led to higher overall scores on mathematics assessments.

Want to help get a bike to someone like Smile?

A donation to World Bicycle Relief helps empower students, health workers, farmers and others with the gift of mobility. And from now until 31 December 2022, Trek is matching all donations up to US $500,0000.

Learn more and donate