Introducing World Bicycle Relief, which aims to help people and communities through the power of bicycles. Quite simply inspirational.
Now here’s something I really find inspiring.
World Bicycle Relief has this mission statement: ‘to provide access to independence and livelihood through the power of bicycles’. As they say, ‘bicycles empower individuals, their families and their communities…. simple sustainable mobility is an essential element in disaster relief and poverty relief.’
World Bicycle Relief was founded in 2004 by bicycle maker Trek and component manufacturer SRAM, as a response to the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. The program provided more than 24,000 bicycles to people judged to be in need after the tsunami.
Following this success, World Bicycle Relief has begun a major new project in Zambia, one of the African countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. The 2-year program will employ people assembling bikes in 8 locations across the country and aims to provide 26,000 bikes for health care workers and educators. As they point out, a bicycle enables people to travel around 4 times as far/fast as on foot, and to carry perhaps 5 times as much. There’s a nice page on the website illustrating some of the benefits that bicycles bring. For instance an hour’s walking time gives access to an area of just 20 sq miles, whereas an hour’s cycling time opens up 310 sq miles.
Most of World Bicycle Relief’s board members are senior figures at SRAM, with Trek’s John Burke as an advisor. Many other companies within the cycle industry are also offering support.
You can donate to World Bicycle Relief via their website. You can donate a complete bicycle for just US$109, but of course you can donate as little or as much as you like.
