International Bicycle Project launched, CFRD provides cycles to students

By TRN Online, Birgunj, Jan. 20: China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD) has provided bicycles to some 1,000 students from nine community schools in Madhesh Province under the International Bicycle Project.

The grand opening ceremony took place on Monday at Shree Nrisingh Secondary School, Birgunj-14, Pipramath. The project benefits 504 students from five schools in Bara District and 496 students from four schools in Parsa District, addressing the challenges of access to education for children in rural areas, according to the information provided by CFRD.

Deputy Mayor of Birgunj Municipality Imtiyaz Alam as Chief Guest and Counselor of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Nepal as Guest of Honor attended the ceremony, along with presence of Member Secretary of Social Welfare Council Manoj Bhatta and Country Director of CFRD Nepal Office, delivering inspiring speeches about the transformative power of education.

During the event, 200 bicycles were handed over to students, marking a significant step toward enabling better access to education.

Briefing about the project, Zou Zhiqiang stated that China Rural Development Foundation and Hello Inc. have cooperated since 2021 to jointly launch the International Love Bicycle Project. By the end of 2024, a total of 6,024 love bicycles have been donated to Laos and Cambodia. Nepal is the third country where the International Love Bicycle Project has been implemented through donation of 1,000 love bicycles in Madhesh province in 2024 and will receive additional 1,000 donations in 2025. She highlighted that over the past decade, CFRD has contributed significantly in Nepal benefiting over 740,000 people through total investment of 13.22 million USD. She also noted that bicycle donations will be a key initiative in the future and emphasized that this project is not just about providing bicycles; it’s about empowering students to dream bigger and achieve more. The project aims to provide assistance to students in developing countries for shortening their travel time to school and promote people to people connectivity.

Chief Guest for the Ceremony Imtiyaz Alam praised the initiative, stating that “The support will enable students to attend classes more regularly and on time, improving academic performance and overall learning outcomes and also empower them by fostering independence and self-reliance, additionally alleviating the economic burden on families who might otherwise need to arrange alternative transportation.”

Zhou Jian, head of public relations of Hello Ride stated that the event is not just a simple material donation, but a part of our corporate social responsibility with practical actions and expressed special thanks to the China Rural Development Foundation and the Chinese Embassy in Nepal for their support and cooperation, and to all the friends who have made great efforts for this donation activity. He added; “This support not only carries love and care, but also symbolize our pursuit of a better life and our persistence in public welfare”.

The International Bicycle Project has not only been welcomed by the beneficiary students, but also highly appreciated and recognized by the international community. In November 2022, this project was selected as the Global Best Poverty Reduction Practices that was reviewed by several prominent organizations including the United Nations agencies and the World Bank, according to the CFRD.