Imagine using your bike to travel distances of over 30 kilometers every day, carrying up to 200 pounds over rugged terrain in all kinds of weather. How often would your bicycle need care and maintenance?
These are the questions facing World Bicycle Relief, as the organization works to mobilize people in the developing world through the power of bicycles. The goal is to create a world where distance is no longer a barrier to education, healthcare or economic opportunity. And so far, the organization has provided over 340,000 Buffalo Bicycles to students, healthcare workers and entrepreneurs across Africa, Southeast Asia and South America, empowering individuals and entire communities.
“From a sustainability perspective, World Bicycle Relief believes that dropping thousands and thousands of bicycles [into a country] without a plan for maintenance is a recipe for disaster.” – Brian Moonga, Country Director, Zambia.
To sustain the impact of these life-changing bikes, World Bicycle Relief recruits one field mechanic per every 100 bicycles distributed. Mechanics learn assembly, maintenance and repair as well as basic business, marketing and management skills. Each mechanic also receives a full toolset, including new wrenches, a bicycle pump and branded World Bicycle Relief overalls.
RELATED: Find bike tools and toolsets
Watch the full story below and donate $50 to provide a toolset for a World Bicycle Relief mechanic.
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