Business Wire - October 19, 2009
DENVER - Imagine having to walk 15 miles to get the medication you need to save your life. That's just what Africans have to do in the rural town of Singalamwe, Namibia where the HIV infection rate has reached 40 percent. Bicycles for Humanity Colorado (B4H), a Denver/Boulder-based nonprofit organization, is dedicating 100 percent of its proceeds to improving the lives of Africans by providing sustainable mobility solutions.
Each year, B4H Colorado collects used bikes and stores them for eventual shipment to Africa. In September, B4H Colorado delivered its second shipment of bikes, this time to the rural town of Singalamwe, Namibia. After donating some of the bikes to mobile healthcare workers, the rest are arranged for sale in the retrofitted shipping container-turned community bike shop which then gives the local economy a boost.
In Singalamwe, B4H focused on women's empowerment, training and certifying five bike mechanics, three of which are women. The bike shop is managed by a woman, marking her first form of paid employment.
"Poor transportation means poor access to healthcare, economic and education opportunities," said Joshua Pace, president, B4H Colorado. "By providing donated used bicycles to rural African healthcare professionals, we're able to dramatically increase the volume and breadth of healthcare services. Simply put: bicycles can change a life."
A bicycle is simple, affordable and can be maintained anywhere in the world with minimal tools and spare parts. Yet for the world's poorest people living on $1 per day, even bicycles are beyond their reach. In Africa, girls are 70 percent more likely to attend school if their family owns a bike. Healthcare workers can visit up to four times as many patients if they have a bike.
So far, B4H Colorado has distributed 800 bikes across Namibia and has begun collecting bikes for its next shipment in January.
About Bicycles for Humanity Colorado
B4H Colorado, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, uses 100 percent of proceeds to address a fundamental barrier to African development û mobility. Poor transport systems mean poor access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. B4H delivers donated bicycles through community-based bike shops to provide sustainable mobility solutions for rural Africans. To learn more about how to help make a difference, visit www.b4hcolorado.org.
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