13 Starehe Boys Students Resume 1,100-Kilometre Charity Bikeathon to Mombasa

The Starehe Boys riders pose for a photo as they prepare to resume their 1,100-kilometre charity bikeathon to Mombasa.

By: Gladys Karuga

Thirteen students from Starehe Boys Centre have resumed their 1,100-kilometre charity cycling challenge, setting off from Nairobi on Wednesday for the final leg of their journey to Mombasa, where they are expected to arrive on Sunday, August 16.

The students arrived in Nairobi on Monday, August 10, after cycling from Busia through several counties. They spent Tuesday resting and recovering before getting back on the road Wednesday morning as they continued their mission to raise KSh10 million for the Starehe Boys Centre education fund.

The Dr. Geoffrey Griffin Memorial Charity Bikeathon, which began on August 3, is named after the late Dr. Geoffrey Griffin, the founder of Starehe Boys Centre and a long-time champion of education and opportunities for young people.

Beyond the fundraising objective, the demanding journey is designed to equip the students with practical lessons in resilience, leadership, teamwork, discipline and service.

Speaking during the riders’ departure in Nairobi, Starehe Boys Centre Director Fred Okono said the Bikeathon forms part of the institution’s wider approach to developing students beyond academics through adventure, leadership and character-building activities.

“We hope they take away three things: the challenge of it, a sense of service and self-sacrifice, and the importance of team spirit. You are out there on the road together, not competing against one another, and everyone has a role to play,” said Okono.

He said the KSh10 million target would be invested in an endowment, with the capital preserved while the returns generated are used to support students at Starehe.

“The capital sum is never used, meaning it will support students in Starehe forever. It translates to generational support of Starehe’s mission,” he said.

According to Okono, Starehe has supported more than 17,870 students since its establishment in 1959, with about three-quarters of them receiving scholarships.

He added that the institution’s long-term ambition is to establish a KSh1.3 billion capital fund to support students at both Starehe Boys and Starehe Girls centres.

The riders have undergone months of physical and mental preparation to cope with the demands of cycling approximately 100 kilometres every day.

Starehe Technical Director and Team Coach Ian Hicho, an Old Starehian, said the challenge required extensive preparation because the students had to sustain the physical demands of long-distance cycling over several consecutive days.

“You cannot just wake up and ride 1,100 kilometres. The preparation started months ago, with physical training, long-distance rides and mental preparation. We needed the boys to get used to the idea of riding 100 kilometres a day,” said Hicho.

The first leg of the journey exposed the students to traffic, hills, heat, dust, changing road conditions and fatigue. Despite the challenges, the team has maintained discipline and resilience, with safety and teamwork forming an important part of the expedition.

Hicho described the Bikeathon as a character-building experience that allows students to put into practice lessons that are often taught theoretically in the classroom.

“This is a character-building adventure. In class, you learn many things theoretically, but on the road, you experience them for yourself. You learn resilience, focus, preparation and what it means to stay on task and keep moving towards a goal,” he said.

The riders follow a structured daily routine that includes an early breakfast, an 8 a.m. departure and regular stops for hydration, snacks and meals. Their journey is supported by a nutritionist and a safety team.

For team captain Ian Stanley, the Bikeathon has provided an opportunity to develop leadership skills while taking responsibility for the welfare of the entire group.

“Being team captain means making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be, that the bikes are in order and that the team moves together. It has taught me that leadership is not just about being in front; it is about making sure everyone gets to the destination,” said Stanley.

The experience has also tested the determination of individual riders.

Fidel Alfred Odhiambo, a Form Three student and returning Bikeathon participant, said the difficult sections of the route had tested the riders but that the purpose of the fundraiser had kept him motivated.

“The biggest lessons for me are determination and resilience. There are moments when you feel like giving up, especially when climbing the hills, but you remember why you started and you keep going,” said Odhiambo.

Odhiambo is participating in the Bikeathon for the second time. He initially did not intend to join this year’s team but stepped in after some students who had been selected for training dropped out.

For the younger riders, reaching Mombasa safely remains the ultimate objective.

“When we reach Mombasa, it will mean that we have achieved the goal we set for ourselves: getting everyone there safely and helping raise funds for Starehe. I want us to finish what we started and make sure the purpose of the Bikeathon continues,” said Marklus Kazungu, a Grade 10 student.

The Bikeathon has attracted support from corporate partners, Starehe alumni and members of the public.

Vivo Energy Kenya, whose Shell service station network is supporting the expedition, has provided stopover points, refreshments, logistical assistance and other support to the riders along the route.

Speaking about the partnership, Vivo Energy Kenya Commercial Manager Mark Senteu, a former Starehe student, said the initiative demonstrates the importance of partnerships in supporting education and youth empowerment.

“The most important principle running the world we live in today is reciprocity, and the Bikeathon is a great example of partnerships powered by reciprocity. Education and youth empowerment are an important part of our sustainability agenda, and through partnerships like this, we are able to give back to communities while creating shared value beyond our business,” said Senteu.

The riders are also receiving emergency response and medical support from St. John Ambulance teams as they travel across the country.

The support structure is intended to ensure that the students can maintain their daily cycling schedule while receiving the necessary hydration, nutrition, medical assistance and safety support.

The KSh10 million fundraising target is intended to create a sustainable source of support for students at Starehe rather than provide only short-term assistance.

By preserving the capital and using the returns generated from the endowment to support education, the initiative seeks to create opportunities for successive generations of students.

For Hicho, who benefited from his time at Starehe, the Bikeathon also represents an opportunity to give back to the institution and help other young people access similar opportunities.

“I want to give back to my alma mater and help other young people benefit from the same opportunities I received here. You are because someone was, and I believe it is important to give back and create that opportunity for someone else,” he said.

As the 13 students embark on the final stretch towards Mombasa, the challenge therefore carries a purpose that goes beyond completing 1,100 kilometres.

The riders are seeking to demonstrate the values of perseverance, teamwork, leadership and service while contributing to a fundraising campaign aimed at expanding educational opportunities for future generations of Starehe students.

The fundraising campaign remains open to Starehe alumni, friends, members of the public and well-wishers who wish to contribute towards the KSh10 million education fund.

The students are expected to arrive in Mombasa on Sunday, August 16, bringing to a close the 1,100-kilometre charity journey that began in Busia and has taken them across several counties.

The Bikeathon continues to honour Dr. Geoffrey Griffin’s legacy of making education accessible to young people while challenging the current generation of Starehe students to develop the resilience, leadership and sense of service needed beyond the classroom.