Turn Your Past Time into a Force for Good
For many of us cycling is a choice, a pursuit, a sport and a leisure activity but in developing countries a bike can make a fundamental difference to lives in rural communities. In many third world countries the distances to schools, hospitals and other support are best covered by the most cheaply run and simple of transports - a bicycle. Cycling-Secrets has an on going commitment to support a number of initiatives and charities worldwide that bring this simple and elegant solution to the tyranny of distance and in doing so improve and change lives and futures. The first of these is Bicycles For Humanity - doing astounding things supplying bikes to HIV/AIDS support workers in rural areas in Africa. We include below an article which outlines their work and encourage you to support their initiatives.
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In the coming months Cycling - Secrets will be sending a 40 foot shipping container packed with bikes to Namibia as part of this initiative - watch this space. |
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Bicycles For Humanity |
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The Problem Can you imagine the next week of your life with no transport other than walking? Can you also imagine the vast majority of the people in your city or region with no transport--the postal service, the police and ambulance, the delivery service that stocks your supermarket?
The first thing you'd notice is the extra time that you need to do everything. Instead of driving to work you would have to walk, perhaps getting out of bed an hour or two earlier than usual. Instead of a 30 minute bus ride to visit family you might be looking at 3 hours on foot.Instead of going to night classes to gain an extra qualification you
would have to go straight home - there simply wouldn't be time to walk
to the college.
You would find your weekly shopping routine impossible, firstly because carrying all that weight would break your back, and secondly because the market stall holders, who also have to travel long distances, simply might not be able to make it to market. If you can imagine this then you're on the way to understanding the problems faced by millions of the world's poorest people. With no means to access opportunities in employment, education or health care, let alone the means to gather food and water quickly, these people are trapped in a cycle of poverty with little way out.
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With aids ravaging much of Africa, many of those in their 20's and 30's having died, Grandmothers and those left now have the added responsibility of caring for the children. If this is not enough to handle, now those left are organizing, getting out there and encouraging all to get tested, educating the people about aids, delivering drugs and caring for those dying, all the time walking.
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Solutions As with any development initiatives, the solution to the transport problem in poor countries must be locally accepted and locally sustainable. There is little point in building a metro train network in an African city if no one can afford to buy tickets or repair the locomotives when they break down.
On the other hand, one of the simplest transport technologies, the bicycle, is far more affordable and can be maintained anywhere in the world with minimal tools and spare parts. In places where transport options are severely restricted, bicycles greatly improve personal mobility and enable people to determine their own schedules. |
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Yet despite their relative affordability, even bicycles may be beyond the reach of the world's poorest people. A new bicycle costs around US$50 in Ghana, US$85 in the Gambia and US$100 in Namibia. Where income levels are less than a dollar a day, these prices are beyond the reach of the most needy.
Every year rich countries discard millions of bicycles as people upgrade to newer models. Most of these bicycles are in perfect condition, or require only a little maintenance to get going. Over the past 20 years a number of organisations have formed to ship these bikes to poor countries, where they have the potential to change lives.
As the bikes are refurbished and distributed, local people are trained in bike mechanics, and business opportunities arise for community based bike shops where the bikes are sold at low prices. Opportunities to extend the reach of healthcare, education and other services also become possible.
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Some of the groups that benefit from bike distribution include:
- Women, who typically spend more time walking than men through performing domestic duties like gathering food, water and firewood.
- Children, who face long walks to school and arrive too tired to learn, or simply don't attend
- Healthcare workers, who often walk long distances to provide medication and counselling to people living with HIV/AIDS and malaria in their homes
- Unemployed people, who can start bike shops, delivery businesses, tourism ventures or spin off projects making trailers, racks and other addons.
How we aim to help more people become mobile
Currently only a fraction of the rich world's bicycles are shipped to developing countries. In the US alone, 15-20 million bikes are purchased each year, and it's estimated that around 10 million bikes are discarded. The figures are similar in other Western countries. Even if only half of the West's discarded bikes are still usable it represents an enormous untapped resource.
Each year, Western collection organisations ship less than 50,000 bikes to partners in the developing world. There is huge potential for growth.
Bicyles for Humanity |
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