The day began like any other, except for the cool and calm weather following the heavy midnight rainfall.Residents of Kpaduma 1 Community in Asokoro Extension, Abuja, were going about their usual activitiesbut for the Bright Smile Empowerment Initiative (BSEI) team it was a very different morning. We arrived at the Community Football Field as early as 7:00 a.m. to take one final look at the venue and ensure that everything was ready for the day’s activities.
Then at about 9:05 a.m. came the bicycles. Their arrival immediately attracted the attention of children and adults in the community. The excitement was palpable. Children immediately gathered around, eager to see, touch and, most importantly, have a ride. It was clear from the very beginning that something special was about to happen. As soon as the footballers vacated the field, our team began setting up at precisely 9:28 a.m. The event was scheduled to begin at 10:00 am.
Preparing the Community
The success of the event did not begin on September 5. In the days leading up to the event, Bright Smile had worked to mobilize the community and ensure that parents and guardians understood the purpose of the programme. We formally wrote to the community chief, Chief Yusuf Dio Gbezhi, Dakachin Kpaduma, to introduce the initiative while our volunteers went through the main streets of the community distributing flyers and parental consent forms. The programme was designed primarily for children between ages 5 to 10 years and a signed parental consent form was required for participation. We initially planned for 50 children, but what happened on the day exceeded our expectations.
A Community Comes Alive
Kpaduma 1 Community, located in Asokoro Extension, FCT, Abuja, is a rapidly developing community situated close to the high-brow Asokoro area. Its residents include Christains and Muslims, public servants, business owners, indigenes and non-indigenes. On this particular Saturday morning, however, the community came together around one thing: Cycling!
Our fantastic team of volunteers immediately swung into action. Participants were registered on arrival, assigned numbers and provided with Bright Smile branded T-shirts. The children were organised into groups and prepared for the various cycling activities. The stage was set.
The Whistle Blew
The children took to their bicycles with remarkable enthusiasm, displaying their skills, confidence and excitement. Rides were organised according to age groups, and the competition was keen but joyful. At the end of the activities, the overall top three performers were selected as winners and went home with brand-new helmets and other exciting gifts.
We Shook the Community for Good
Perhaps the most memorable part of the day was not the competition itself, but the overwhelming response from the community. Almost all the children in the community came out. Many arrived with their parents and guardians in the final moments of the programme, hoping to register and participate. They were simply eager to get their hands on a bicycle. You could see and feel their excitement.
The event also attracted passers-by who stopped to catch a glimpse of what was happening at the football field. Parents expressed their delight at the opportunity to engage their children in a positive, healthy and meaningful activity. One community member aptly captured the atmosphere by saying: “You shook the community for good.” And that was exactly what Bright Smile Initiative had hoped to achieve.
Building Bridges Through Cycling
The event also provided an opportunity to connect the community with members of the foremost mountain biking and off-road cycling community in Abuja, Chaingang Cycling Club Abuja was represented at the event, as well as a Board member of Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), while the community chief was ably represented by his secretary, who welcomed and commended the initiative on behalf of the community leadership.
A major highlight was a bicycle-handling skills demonstration and the presentation of gifts by Dr. Andrew Etsetowaghan, Captain of the Chaingang Cycling Club Abuja and Board Member of the Cycling Federation.Dr. Etsetowaghan encouraged the children to continue developing their cycling skills and extended an invitation for them to participate in cycling training at the National Stadium Velodrome on the first Sunday of every month for free. For the children, it was more than a demonstration. It was an opportunity to meet experienced cyclists, see what was possible and begin to imagine themselves going further with cycling.
A Bigger Impact Than Expected
Thanks to our partners, REK Arts Studio and Joovyspring Global Limited (Pharmaceuticals), who supported us with bicycles/safety equipment and snacks, as well as a complete set of First Aid package. By the end of the day more than 250 people had been directly impacted, including approximately 100 children who participated in the activities.
What started as a modest community cycling initiative for 50 children became a much larger community experience. The response was overwhelmingly positive. All the children received doughnuts and water eachduring break. The children wanted more. The parents wanted more. The community wanted more. And the question that stayed with the Bright Smile team long after the bicycles had been packed away was: “When are we doing this again?”
That question may be the clearest measure of the success of the Kpaduma One Community Cycling Day.The event demonstrated that cycling can be much more than riding a bicycle. It can be a platform for wellness, confidence building, inclusion, family engagement, community connection and positive development.
For Bright Smile Empowerment Initiative, the Kpaduma experience marks an important beginning in the FCT – and a powerful reminder that sometimes, all it takes to bring a community together is a few bicycles, willing hands and a shared belief in the power of positive change.
From Lekki to Asokoro, the Bright Smile journey continues.
And we can’t wait for the next ride. 🚲💛
