Adverse Childhood Events or ACEs consist of experiences such as physical and emotional abuse, neglect, caregiver mental illness, and household violence. Studies have indicated that children, such as our beneficiaries, in under-resourced communities experience at least five ACEs a year.
ACEs result in three times higher school repetition rates and far higher dropout rates when compared to well resourced communities. This, in turn, results in high levels of frustration and lower levels of education in these under-resourced communities, ultimately resulting in higher levels of crime and dependency on the state.
Lack of safe space
No real role models
Lack of education and opportunities
No access to nature
Poverty
Peer exclusion and pressure
Steps to Success
Initiatives such as Pedal Project do not combat ACEs, but can give beneficiaries the skills and resilience to better cope with their surroundings and succeed despite adversities.
Resilient kids, both on and off the bike, become resilient adults, who raise further generations of resilient adults who can help secure the success of our country for generations to come.
01
Support
Use a sport as a vehicle for change for children to support them with coping with mental challenges.
02
Nourish
Create and nourish a new appreciation for sport and nature that can lead to new opportunities.
03
Guidance
Participation and guidance will provide tools to cope with their internal challenges.
04
Connect
Use the opportunity away from the urban landscape to create a meaningful connection with nature.
Let's transform the lives and the future using bikes
Social Focus Areas & Sustainable Development Goals
To achieve real impact on the ground, we have focused our efforts and resources around those of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which we believe sport can be effectively utilised to achieve.
Pedal Project is committed to expanding our organisation’s programmes to use mountain biking to achieve outcomes for children and young people in the following seven SDG-related social focus areas:
Pedal Project is a registered non-profit organisation (NPO) that brings together the physically challenging activity of mountain biking, with caring mentors and therapeutic support tools. We do this to uplift and help young South Africans from disadvantaged backgrounds with their socio-emotional development.
