Starehe Boys students cycle 1,000km to raise Sh10m

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When Crispus and Marklus Kazungu learnt to ride a bicycle, they had no idea that they were setting themselves up to secure the future of gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Many years later, when they enlisted for a cycling marathon to raise funds for bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the skills the identical twins had acquired in the Malindi countryside came in handy.

While their fellow students returned home for the August holiday, Crispus, Marklus and 11 others from Starehe Boys Centre & School jumped on their mountain bikes. They set off on a 1,000-kilometre journey through 19 counties.

“So far, we have spent 11 days on the road,” the team captain, Leah Stanley Ngugi, said when the Nation team bumped into the young cyclists at Mtito Andei Township in Makueni County,” he said.

“We are cycling from Busia to Mombasa to raise Sh10 million to support bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Wearing helmets and luminous lime green T-shirts, the riders assume a special formation while on the busy highway to enhance their safety.

Ian Hicho, a professional rider and the technical director of the fundraising project dubbed “Dr Geoffrey Griffin Memorial Bike-a-Thon”, forms a shield between the cyclists and motorists on the highway. The teenagers clock at least 100 kilometres daily.

A key highlight of the cycling marathon is Crispus and Marklus. The Grade 10 students, aged 16 years old, who aspire to become doctors, are fun loving. They kept the team entertained. When they are not leading the team in singing morale-boosting songs, they conduct prayers. Just like most of the riders, the cycling marathon offered them a chance to ride a mountain bicycle.

“Every time I see my brother working hard on the pedals, it gives me a reason to keep pushing,” Crispus said.

For Fidel Alfred Odhiambo, taking part in the event offers him a chance to give back to the community. The Form Three student, who is an avid cyclist, pushes hard knowing that the marathon is aimed at transforming lives.

The riders’ determination has helped them face the challenges that they have encountered along the journey. The riders sometimes dodge reckless truck drivers, ride against the wind as well as under the scorching sun. They also have a point to prove against naysayers who are not convinced that teenagers can ride for 1100 kilometres.

Yet the outing remained an adventure for the students. Cruising from the lakeside region through the Rift Valley, they took in the beauty of the Kenyan landscape and its diverse cultures.

“I ate fish for the first time on this journey. It was such a fantastic meal!” Said Ngugi, who grew up in Kirinyaga County.

Mr Hicho sees the cycling marathon as a way of fundraising and as an extension of the school’s approach to nurturing well-rounded young people. As an alumnus of the old Starehe Boys’ Centre and School, he has a philosophical take on the significance of the cycling marathon.

“Life is not always a smooth road, and this journey is teaching the boys how to navigate the ups and downs and still make it to the end,” Mr Hicho told Nation.

“One of the outcomes expected from this mission is character formation. At the end of the day, we expect the cyclists to become resilient and appreciate the importance of preparation, focus and teamwork.”

A support team working behind the scenes keeps their social media platforms alive by posting photographs, reels, memes and short stories tailored to mobilise financial support. Teachers and old Starehe Boys Centre & School students occasionally join the cyclists to boost the riders’ morale.

On Wednesday, a team of old Starehe Boys Centre & School students working at the Makueni County Government hosted the riders for dinner at Emali Township. The day before, telecommunication giant Safaricom hosted the cyclists for lunch and donated Sh1 million as Vivo Energy contributed refreshments and Sh300,000 worth of fuel.

In the first week, Bomet Woman Representative Linet Chepkorir and her Kericho counterpart, Ms Beatrice Kemei, contributed to the funds drive when they bumped into the cyclists. At the onset of the Nairobi-Mombasa leg of the marathon, Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris donated cash to support the riders on their journey and pledged five scholarships at the Starehe Boys Centre & School.

“The support that thrills us most is from the run-of-the-mill Kenyan who sees these 13 young people riding and asks what the ride is about. Thereafter, they contribute an amount to a Pay Bill number that has been provided,” Starehe Boys Centre & School Director Fred Okono said.

Proceeds from the cycling marathon will go towards the education of 10 needy students at the premier school.

“ The money will go into an endowment known as Griffin Memorial Endowment Trust. What will be made available to Starehe to support students is the interest earned. That interest at the current rate will be enough to support 10 students. The wonderful thing about this model is that there will be 10 guaranteed places at Starehe Boys Centre & School for so long as the capital sum is held in trust and invested and only the revenue streams from it are used to support the students at Starehe,” he said.

Beyond the fundraising, Mr Okono says the cycling marathon develops the character of students while celebrating the legacy of Dr Geoffrey Griffin who founded the institution in 1959.

“Starehe Boys Centre & School offers holistic education which goes beyond academics,” Mr Okono said.

“We strive to build the character of the young men through community service while keeping the legacy of Dr Geoffrey Griffin alive,” he said.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.