In Support of Fran’s Bicycle Ride to Kenya by Carter Via

When talking about the plight of children in Kibera, one thing is certain. They are overlooked. The burden of hunger is ignored. The absence of schools is invisible. In the face of it, the Kenyan government fails to take responsibility. The wealthy class is equally culpable. And the rest of the world does not even have these children in their sight. Are there consequences? To quote one theologian: “The consequence of negligence is premature death, despair, and the perpetuation of inhumanity.”

In a nutshell, this is the very reason for the existence of Crossing Thresholds. We have chosen to see what others have seemingly ignored. We have decided once and for all that Kibera’s children are not invisible. Dignity begins with face-to-face interaction. That is ‘why’ we bring volunteers to Kenya. We show up to say out loud, “We see you, and we value you.” Every other Crossing Thresholds initiative builds on this foundation.    

Recent volunteer and new Board member, Fran Malagisi, has made an incredible commitment to put this concept (“I see you”) into action.  After his January trip, he made a pledge to himself and to Crossing Thresholds to ride 7,300 miles on his bicycle to raise awareness and support for these children. (For those who may not know, 7,300 miles is the distance between New York and Nairobi.)  As if that was not enough, he set an ambitious fundraising goal of $73,000, which would cover the cost for 73 students to attend high school for a year.     

To put it mildly, I am inspired by Fran. Riding 7300 miles is no small feat.  But his reason for riding is the greater inspiration. What is the reason? It’s simple. High school is not free in Kenya. Without financial support, more than 90 percent of Kibera’s graduates from primary school cannot continue on to high school. Without high school, these young people will remain trapped in the cycle of poverty.  As a result, the world is less safe and infinitely sadder. Inhumanity persists.  

Fran has already ridden more than 2,500 miles. That’s 25 young people cleared to go to high school next year. Now let’s get behind Fran and make sure that the remaining 48 students get the same chance!  Fran, we see you. Thank you for seeing them.  

To support Fran and these prospective high school students, please click the button below!