Shades of Life Foundation, a leading non-profit organization committed to ensuring that neurodivergent individuals and people with related developmental disabilities live life to their full potential, proudly announces the third edition of its flagship awareness campaign, Ride4Autism West Africa 3.0: Embracing Difference, taking place from August 18th-21st, 2026.
This year’s event will see cyclists’ journey from Lagos, Nigeria to Benin Republic, uniting communities across borders in a powerful call for inclusion, acceptance, and support for individuals living with autism.
The Ride4Autism initiative, now in its fifth year, with the West Africa edition, in its third year, is designed to break barriers, foster dialogue, and amplify the voices of families and individuals affected by autism. By embracing difference, the campaign underscores the importance of celebrating neurodiversity and dismantling stigma across West Africa.
“Autism knows no borders. By extending our work to Benin Republic, we are building bridges of understanding and ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to thrive,” Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, Founder and CEO of Shades of Life Care Limited and Shades of Life Foundation stated. She added that this milestone marks a significant step in the foundation’s mission to foster inclusion, understanding, and empowerment across West Africa.
The #Ride4Autism cyclists will be riding/journeying from Lagos, Nigeria to Benin Republic and back, spending two nights in Ouidah and one night in Grandpopo. This year’s ride aims to embrace difference, reflecting the foundation’s continued commitment to expanding autism awareness and education beyond borders and building a more inclusive West Africa.
Ride4Autism is more than a cycling event; it is a movement of hope, resilience, and unity. By riding across borders, Shades of Life Foundation is reminding the society that autism knows no boundaries, and acceptance must be universal.
About Shades of Life Foundation
Shades of Life Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness, providing support, and advocating for individuals with autism and their families across Africa. It aims to see an environment where children with autism, intellectual disabilities learning disabilities, and related developmental disabilities live life to their full potential. Through programs like Ride4Autism, the foundation fosters inclusion, education, and empowerment.
