The difference of pedal power – At a bike presentation at Cranbourne Secondary College last we

By Bridget Brady and Lilly O’Gorman
GETTING to school just got a whole lot easier for a Cranbourne Secondary College brother and sister after staff members donated two bikes for their journeys.
It would take Year 8 student Nyakim and her brother and Year 7 student Bill at least half an hour to walk to school from their homes, which sometimes meant they would run late.
They have been in Australia for about three years and only at the school for about six weeks after their family fled Sudan and ended up in a refugee camp in Ethiopia.
Their mother, Nyadak Bithow, does not have a car to take her children to school.
Social wellbeing co-ordinator Jan McAleese heard that the students walked to school and put the call out to her fellow staff members to see if they could help.
Office worker Karen Brookes and arts staff member Chris Ashdown both brought in second-hand bikes from home and on Friday presented them to Nyakim and Bill to keep. “When you see how it benefits the kids it’s really fantastic,” Mrs McAleese said.
New Hope Foundation case manager Janine Bickmore has worked with the family after they arrived in Australia and provided the helmets for the students that she bought from Cranbourne Cycles.
She said the school had been incredibly helpful to the family.
“I think it’s really good to see a collaborative effort.”
Bill said he would enjoy his bike. “Now we can just come straight to school,” he said.
“Now there are no excuses for being late,” Mrs McAleese said, laughing.