Just before Christmas I posted a list of projects in Africa and Latin America that harness the transformative power of bicycles. These projects have different approaches, operate at different scales, and tackle different problems. But they share one thing in common: they understand that the gears of a bicycle provide a powerful leverage for change, at the individual and community levels.
Bicycle Empowerment Network, Namibia
Since that post, I have continued to expand the list, and to collect more information about projects doing this work. I’ll be turning this list into a permanent page on Bikejuju. To my knowledge, this information is not assembled anywhere else, but please let me know if it is.
For starters, I’m using three broad criteria for the inclusion of organizations on this list.
- The organization or project uses bicycles or bicycle-related technology as a central part its work to change lives for the better in under-resourced settings in Africa, Latin America, or Asia (I have a bias towards Africa because I’m there often, but I’d love a more inclusive list).
- The organization or project seems to have been active in the last 12 months.
- The organization or project has a website I can link to.
If you know of other organizations that are not listed here, please post a comment or send me an email. And if you have thoughts about my nascent efforts to assemble more information about this “sector” of organizations, I’d love to hear them, too.
The list, to date:
Getting Rwandan coffee to market.
- Bamboo Bike Project
- Bicycle Empowerment Network Namibia
- Bicycle Empowerment Network South Africa
- Bicycles for Humanity
- Bikes for the World
- Bikes Not Bombs International Projects
- Bikes to Rwanda
- Bikes Without Borders
- Cycling Out Of Poverty
- CycloNordSud (French-language)
- 88bikes
- FABIO Uganda (still active?)
- Interface for Cycling Expertise
- International Bicycle Fund
- ITDP “California Bike” Project
- Kaloko Trust
- Mayapedal
- Mike’s Bikes Africa Projects
- Pedals for Progress
- Project Rwanda
- Re-Cycle
- Village Bicycle Project
- Wheels for Life
- Wheels in Action
- World Bicycle Relief
- Worldbike
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I believe there is a group called Akerfa, Africa backwards turning Africa around one bike at a time (www.abikes.org) and Zambikes in Zambia is http://www.zambikes.org
Thanks! Wow I can’t believe Zambikes is not on this list. Oops. I got many many more suggestions by email and am working on an update.
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