Welcome to the home of Velokhaya, the awareness and fundraising channel of the Life Cycling Academy, South Africa's leading cycling transformation organisation focused on introducing the sport of cycling to previously disadvantaged communities (PDCs) in South Africa.
The purpose of Velokhaya - which derives its name from the French word 'velo' (meaning bicycle) and the Xhosa word 'khaya' (meaning home) - is to make cycling more accessible to young children living in South Africa's poorest communities.
(The name Velokhaya also is similar to a word in South Africa's Xhosa language, 'velakhaya' which means 'to bring home' or 'to come home'.)
Velokhaya was launched in London in July 2007 by Team CSC - at the time the number one pro-elite cycling team in the world - and its principal sponsors, CSC and Cervelo. The launch of the initiative followed Team CSC's visit to South Africa in December 2006.
(More details in our 'Highlights' document!)
One of the key goals of the Velokhaya awareness and fundraising campaign is to give cycling a 'home' in the heart of the community which it serves, to create a formal base for the Academy's activities - and to support the holistic development of the youth living in poor communities.
Our aim is to build much-needed cycling-related infrastructure in communities where there aren't - and never have been - such facilities.
So far these facilities include a completed BMX Oval where young children can be introduced to cycling, and plans for a specialist Cycling Centre where elite athletes are trained to compete against the world's best.