When Stellenbosch University's (SU) transport department began renewing its bicycle fleet, Dr Leslie van Rooi, SU Senior Director of Social Impact and Transformation, and Dr Therese Fish, Vice Dean of Clinical Services and Social Impact at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), saw an opportunity. Their vision has become Operation Maties Bikes, which has delivered 150 bicycles to rural communities where transportation barriers often determine life outcomes. 

Over the past month, the FMHS has distributed these Maties Bikes to under-resourced rural schools, undergraduate students on rural health placements, and NGOs supporting community health workers across the Western Cape.  

“Access to reliable transportation shouldn't determine whether a child can participate in school activities or whether a health worker can reach the communities they serve," explains Fish, who leads the initiative. “These bicycles represent more than mobility—they represent possibility and dignity. When we remove these barriers, we create pathways for education, healthcare access, and community engagement that can transform lives." 

The project targets three key beneficiary groups. Rural schools receiving the bicycles are expected to see increased movement and physical activity among learners, fostering healthier, more active school communities. For undergraduate health science students conducting rural service-learning placements, the bicycles provide enhanced mobility at training sites. 

The initiative also aims to boost the operational capacity of community health workers, supported through partnerships with NGOs and the Western Cape Government's Department of Health and Wellness. The bicycles will allow them to cover larger geographic areas and maintain more consistent community contact, creating increased opportunities for community engagement and support. 

A key component of Operation Maties Bikes is the Pedal Forward programme, managed by Prof Eileen Africa with the FMHS' Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine. This initiative integrates bicycle use into daily school routines, encouraging regular physical activity while fostering learner autonomy. The programme includes built-in evaluation mechanisms and emphasises long-term sustainability, ensuring benefits extend beyond individual recipients to transform entire school and community environments. 

Africa's connection to this initiative runs particularly deep—she completed both her primary and secondary school education at the rural schools now benefiting from Operation Maties Bikes, making her contribution a deeply personal act of giving back to communities that shaped her own journey.  

Pedal Forward recognises that sustainable change requires systematic integration. By embedding bicycle use into school culture, the programme promotes healthy habits and independence that will serve learners throughout their lives. 

Worcester RK Primary School's Deputy Principal, Mr C Felix, together with a team of staff and young learners, received the Maties Bikes on behalf of the Principal, Mr HCW Titus. Felix expressed the school's gratitude for the opportunities that the donation provides these young learners. In addition to establishing a cycling club, the learners will also have the opportunity to develop mechanical skills to maintain the bicycles.  

Cathy Roodman from Esselenpark Secondary School, one of the recipient schools, expressed her appreciation: “A particular word of gratitude for the kind contribution of 20 bicycles. These bikes serve as a link to opportunity, not merely a means of transportation. We are thrilled to establish a riding club for learner, and we are using this effort to encourage physical exercise, improve interpersonal skills, leadership skills and cultivate a sense of community." 

The project is managed by Fish with support from Colleen Charters, her office manager. Mr Roelof Loubser, Mobility Manager for Transport Services, facilitated the initial bicycle transfers that enabled the initiative. 

Operation Maties Bikes aligns with SU's broader social impact strategy, which seeks to advance health equity and community well-being through education, research, and service. The initiative demonstrates how institutional resources can be leveraged to address real-world challenges in rural communities, creating increased opportunities whose full potential will only be revealed with time.