Meanwhile... in Ga-Molepo, South Africa, local entrepreneur Jeffrey Mulaudzi is bringing bike-sharing to students

And in the Pitcairn islands, residents are hoping to see their home named as a dark sky sanctuary, while in Cali, Colombia, collectors of Afro-Caribbean vinyl records have been meeting annually for 26 years.

In Ga-Molepo, South Africa, local entrepreneur Jeffrey Mulaudzi is bringing bike-sharing to students.

Mr. Mulaudzi has compassion for South African students living in rural areas, many of whom walk four or more miles to school every day. Not too long ago he was one of them.  

Today he runs a successful business offering bike tours of a Johannesburg suburb. Having a bicycle changed his life, he says. 

To pass that benefit on to others, he has persuaded local companies to underwrite the cost of buying and maintaining 13 bikes in his hometown of Ga-
Molepo. Schoolchildren can use these bikes each day to dramatically reduce their commute time.

Because they only borrow the bikes, they don’t need to worry about other family members commandeering them. Plus, all maintenance on the bikes is done for them. “We have seen the bikes bring big change in attendance and participation,” Ga-Molepo school principal Shilabje Phuti told Deutsche Welle. “They have made a big difference to our students and our school.”

In the Pitcairn islands, residents are hoping to see their home named as a dark sky sanctuary, notes LonelyPlanet.com. 

A dark sky sanctuary is a location from which the night sky can be seen without any light pollution. There are currently only three official dark sky sanctuaries in the world: New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island, the Cosmic Campground in New Mexico, and Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary in the Elqui Valley of northern Chile.

The remote Pitcairn Islands (located in the South Pacific halfway between New Zealand and Peru, with a population of 50) have applied for the official designation. 

In Cali, Colombia, collectors of Afro-Caribbean vinyl records have been meeting annually for 26 years to swap records and enjoy salsa dancing.

This select group of aficionados traveled from as far as New York to meet in Cali for six days earlier this month. Some dealers were delighted to note the increasing popularity of vinyl, with some records commanding prices of more than $1,000. 

Vinyl is “back with a force,” record seller Jorge Franco told Aljazeera.com.