A group of cyclists completed a 250-mile bike ride in Bangladesh to raise £100,000 for a new school in Jamalpur, an area affected by flooding and erosion worsened by climate change. The charity ride organized by Freedom 50 took four days from Dhaka to Sylhet, ending on February 8.
Cyclists from Birmingham, Germany, Belgium, and Pakistan participated in the event, which included Bangladeshi cyclists who received a “hero’s welcome” from people in towns and villages. The event gathered more than half of its target, which will go towards constructing a new school with more advanced features like solar panels and rain capture technology.
Cyclists rally for education
The group of cyclists from Birmingham-based Freedom 50 rode from Dhaka to Sylhet to raise funds for a new school in Jamalpur, Bangladesh. The four-day charity ride attracted cyclists from Germany, Belgium, and Pakistan, with Bangladeshi cyclists receiving a warm reception from locals in towns and villages. The group managed to raise more than half of its target of £100,000 for the school construction.
New school for Jamalpur
The current school in Jamalpur is a tin shack, accommodating 114 students. The new school will have a range of features to help it weather extreme weather conditions, including solar panels and rain capture technology. The school will be able to withstand the frequent flooding and erosion in the area caused by climate change. The group hopes to add a playground and cycling track in the second phase of the project.
Organizer Aftab Rahman said, “I’ve been driven by trying to improve the lives of children and young people,” and hopes to build a playground and cycling track for the new school. The group plans to organize other charity bike rides, including one across the UK in May and another from London to Paris in August.
