Residents in Kenilworth have been given the chance to "make a huge impact" on the future of young girls in Africa thanks to the Kenilworth-Uyogo Friendship Link (KUFL).

The charity, which has run for over 40 years, is looking for new volunteers to help further the connections between Kenilworth and the Tanzanian village Uyogo.

A call for supporters comes after schoolgirls in Uyogo received another 35 bicycles this week to help them get to school every day.

Bicycles have been purchased and security tagged locally in Tanzania after money was raised from residents in Kenilworth.

The 35 bikes donated this week add to the 66 donated in February this year from the 'buy-a-bike' scheme run by KUFL.

The scheme was originally launched at the end of 2020 as one of then Mayor of Kenilworth Cllr Richard Dickson's mayoral charity events.

Making a difference

With some girls living up to 22km away from school the bikes make a real difference to both their current lives and their futures.

Kit Lawry chair of KUFL said: "It is not just about these girls getting to school quickly and easily, it is whether they go to school, whether they get a secondary education, whether they have a chance when they grow up to have a job and to earn a decent living.

"It affects their whole life and the benefits extend to their own families and communities.

"It is a simple idea with really impactful, long term results."

Following the success of the buy-a-bike scheme, KUFL is looking for new members to either join the committee or to help with fundraising activities.

Kit added: "KUFL is a Kenilworth town project, that was started 40 years ago and has been going strong since then. But what I would particularly like to see, especially now we have Kenilworth School actively engaged in the project, is more engagement from wider groups of Kenilworth people.

"We are always open to ideas for fundraising, there is only so much that a fairly small committee can do, especially during a pandemic. So we really welcome people approaching us with ideas and would bend over backwards to support them."

Friendship link

As well as the recent bicycle scheme, KUFL has a long history of successful projects and of visitors going either way between Uyogo and Kenilworth.

In 2015 Uyogo schoolgirl Agnes Magoko and fellow student Jumanne James visited Kenilworth to study at the school and were hosted by charity members and local parents and school staff.

A life-changing experience for the two youngsters, Jumanne is now studying at university and Agnes is training to be a teacher.

She is currently working voluntarily in Umiki Secondary School, the newly-built government secondary school in Uyogo to where the KUFL-funded bikes were distributed.

Agnes recently spoke to current Umiki Secondary School students about her time in Kenilworth. Kit said that the video shows how much an education has made to Agnes' confidence.

"That difference is what education can do for girls in Tanzania," says Kit, "it is literally life changing. 

"Giving bikes to enable girls, who live a long way from their nearest secondary school, to attend regularly is giving a life-changing opportunity."

Anybody wishing to find out more about the project or wanting to get involved, please contact Kit Lawry via email at [email protected].

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