A Kenilworth charity has thanked the 'fantastic support' of people and businesses in the town whose donations have helped change the lives of young girls in rural Africa.

Kenilworth-Uyogo Friendship link launched its 'Buy a Bike' scheme in December 2020 to raise money to donate bicycles to schoolgirls in rural Tanzania.

With many of the girls living up to 20km away from the nearest school, the 160 bikes bought so far can be the difference between them getting an education or not.

Each bike costs £50 to purchase, security mark and take to the school from the town Urambo where they are purchased.

They are then allocated to the girls for their four years at school.

KUFL said it had "no idea how generously people in Kenilworth would support" the scheme and has been visiting local businesses to say thank you for their support.

"Getting to school safely and quickly is important for secondary school girls in Uyogo," said chair of KUFL Kit Lawry.

"Many live a long way from the school and their parents are, not surprisingly, reluctant for their daughters to walk 20km to school and then 20km back home again each school day.

"Loaning a girl a bike for her school years changes the whole situation.

"Girls can cycle in groups to and from school, much more easily and safely than if they walked the distance."

The local school, Umiki Secondary School, has this year recorded a much larger enrolment of girls for Form 1, due in part to donations from people in Kenilworth.

But the group said there were more students, including young boys, who still needed help getting to school.

Kit added: "Kenilworthians have given fantastic support to this simple but effective way of facilitating girls' secondary education which will change their whole lives and futures.

"Kenilworth individuals, Kenilworth School students and staff, groups such as Kenilworth Rotary Club and the Inner Wheel, and local businesses have played, and continue to play, a generous role in promoting and supporting the Buy a Bike scheme.

"Kenilworth Books kindly allowed Kenilworth School students to design and make a window display highlighting the school's Africa Week, raising money for KUFL and two other charities working in Africa, in February this year.

"So KUFL is thanking them with this brightly coloured poster featuring Umiki Secondary School girls riding their bikes in Uyogo."

See KUFL's website for more information and videos of the bikes being delivered to Uyogo and allocated.