Re~Cycle's trusted partners in Africa deliver the projects on the ground, refurbishing, distributing and maintaining the bikes. Partners vary in approach, including; offering credit, government subsidies, running workshops to teach cycle repair and maintenance skills and courses in safe riding. Re~Cycle is working to help them develop capacity, moving towards "The Ideal Partner".
Please see the now expanded links in the menu to the left.
The XtraBike Load Carrier, converts a normal bike into a super load carrying machine!
GHANA
Fantastic partner, with a major focus on mechanic training and getting bicycle tools into the country. Was selling them below cost price to stimulate the market, now selling at wholesale. Mechanics helping deliver the training get discounted tools. Set up by an ex-peace corps man David Peckham.
A new project in Ghana, set up by Carl Kurz's Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) (one of our fantastic sister organisations in America), which is now a registered cooperative. A volunteer from BNB, David Branigan, was there for some time, training mechanics and shop running skills. He's now left (currently BNB's International Programs Director) and they are running the project themselves, with a little remote support. Could do with help (practical on the ground and remote) from bike co-ops in particular, please.
.
The mechanics have all had polio or other debilitating illness, and have been making great progress on all fronts, from trueing wheels to marketing their shop.
Ability Bikes Cooperative is featured in our new film, and have photos here.
Ezetela Bicycle Workshop
The Ezetela Bicycle Workshop is based in the small town of Dodowa in the Greater Accra region, Ghana. The project is a new development of the Ezetela Memorial Foundation, which facilitates vocational training in skilled trades for young adults and children in the local area.
Ezetela received their first shipment of bicycles from Re-Cycle in late 2007, and then quickly succeeded in promoting the bicycle as an affordable and accessible method of transport and load-carrying throughout the West Dangme region.
More recently, Ezetela have began building their own bicycle workshop and sales outlet. Two Re~Cycle volunteers are currently living there to train the first wave of mechanics and administrative staff. Their work will support and expand the project as it receives a second shipment of bikes from the UK, due to arrive early 2010.
The Asante Akim Multipurpose Community Telecentre
Target beneficiaries include students, teachers and local farmers. Running a training course sponsored by the Ghanaian government.
Have not shipped to them for a year or so.
They've now got a contract with the government to run training courses.
KENYA
Based in Mombasa, Kenya, aiming to help street children return to a ‘normal’ way of life. The project is in collaboration with Mombasa Olympic Youth, established by a former Kenyan Olympic athlete and social worker, Fred (Bokey) Achola to help street children.
The main aim of the bike project will be initially to provide cheap transport to assist ex-street children start working for themselves. This will either be for affordable transport to and from work or to assist them with their work (carrying and/or delivering).
LESOTHO
This is a new partner first shipped to in Winter 2008, to a project called "Beyond Bikes", based in the capital, Maseru. Sentebale's mission is to transform the lives of Lesotho's orphans and vulnerable children. Sentebale was founded by Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso to help the forgotten victims of poverty and of the HIV/Aids epidemic ravaging this kingdom. The first course of 20 students should be in September 2009 and they have started recruitment of trainers.
LIBERIA
A bike workshop has been set up as a micro-enterprise for graduates of a Don Bosco College. UK: Fr Joe Brown SDB Don Bosco Missions Office 2, Orbel Street Battersea, LONDON SW11 3NZ Tel: +44 (0)20 7924 2733 e-mail: donbosco (at) btconnect.com LIBERIA: John T. Monibah (Editor, Don Bosco Link) Don Bosco, 8th Street, P.O.Box 2751, Monrovia, Liberia. Tel: +2316 526 525
e-mail: dbmedia2000 (at) yahoo.com
NAMIBIA
The Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN)
Major focus on providing bikes to AIDS/HIV outreach workers. They have established several outreach BEC projects (Bicycle Empowerment Centres) utilising used shipping containers shipped full of bikes that have been delivered to outlying areas. The containers give the projects dry and secure storage and workshop space. BEN was set up by Michael Linke, who used to ride pedicabs in London. The project was inspired by the very successful Bicycle Empowerment Network in S. Africa.
SIERRA LEONE
A medical outreach charity. The bikes are used to support a motorbike ambulance project. If someone needs an ambulance, a family member can use one of the bikes to cycle to the health centre to raise the alarm - photo here.
SOUTH AFRICA
The Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN)
The Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN) was launched in Cape Town on 7 February 2002. BEN promotes the use of bicycles in order to address low-cost mobility, health and access to opportunity, employment, skills and education. In collaboration with both national and international development/ donor agencies, the project facilitates the transportation of bicycles from Europe, Great Britain and the United States to South Africa, the establishment of bicycle workshop projects and the introduction of bicycle user paths/ networks.
To ensure the success of the project, BEN has established partnerships with the Netherlands based Interface for Cycling Expertise (I-CE) and the Shova Kalula (Pedal Easy) project of the South African National Department of Transport (NDoT), and the cities of Cape Town, Tshwane and Johannesburg. BEN is a national program based in Cape Town which works closely with Re-Cycle and partners from around Africa and through the African Bicycle Network, to learn from partners and share best practice.
Voluntours is a new partner, who supported the first container load of bikes in 2008 that was shipped to Bokomaso Bikes. An ethical "gap year" company that places volunteers with a wide variety of worthwhile projects, they have won two awards for this project and are doing amazing things. For some more info click here
UGANDA
Bicycle Sponsorship Project and Workshop (BSPW)
A great project which has received several 40-foot boxes from Re~Cycle, including light metal working tools to make their famous Bicycle Ambulance. A problem is that inland countries cost over twice as much to ship to, due to the overland distances, poor infrastructure and crossing borders.
Audio:
- Richard Kisamadu the director of BSWP
- Rosie, a midwife in Uganda, talks about the advantages of having a bike (4 mins)
- Dr Christine, former MP, then Ministry of Health, talks about the benefits of bike use in Uganda, including bicycle ambulances and malaria (is a short gap after the beep, keep listening) (6 minutes 40)
- Patrick Kayemba, now running FABIO, lobbying the government for more rights and facilities for cyclists
ZAMBIA
In its early days Re~Cycle topped up two containers going out with other things. In May 2009 we sent the first container load of bikes to the new bike project supported by The Kalko Trust (including bike number 30,000!), parts and tools.
They've set up two workshops and the mechanics were trained up by a volunteer who stayed out there for 3 months.
Things have gone very well and they are keen to repeat the project. The plan is for the next container to be sent at the end of the wet season, leaving the UK in April 2010.
IN THE PIPELINE
Burkina Faso (target spring 2010)
Mauritania (target autumn/winter 2009 - related to THIS project)
Mozambique (target spring 2010)
FUTURE
Re~Cycle is looking to expand its African partner base, particularly by partnering with medium size NGOs working in several places.
We only work with/through partners in Africa, and I don't see that changing.
We're considering working with/through a medium size NGO (along the lines of Practical Action, ActinonAid, Care, Goal) who work in several African countries.
We see several benefits to working this way, including:
- NGO works with trusted partner groups
- partners would have targeted beneficiaries
- experienced with running projects
- NGO provides some support
- KEY POINT = ability to replicate/scale up in different country areas and other countries
- experienced with providing feedback (been mostly thin on the ground)
- would either be running micro-credit or working with someone who is
- would help give Re~Cycle profile
- would have money or could joint fund raise for setting up new projects
Please get in touch if you work for/know such an NGO, or are interested in partnering with Re~Cycle.
NB. This would be in addition to existing partners and small grass-roots projects.
SMALL SHIPMENTS OF BIKES
We have been pleased to supply bikes to other charities and NGOs who have requested bikes from Re-Cycle to be shipped as part of a larger load of mixed aid items. In this way we have supported projects in Sierra Leone, DR Congo, Uganda and Lesotho.
PREVIOUS PARTNERS
In the past, we have also shipped bicycles to Cameroon, The Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria and, before we made the decision to specialise in shipping bikes to Africa, to Haiti and Romania.
Partners, please see these pages:
- Partner FAQ
- Parts
- Tools
- Importing info - duty, tax, etc. (need to be logged on)
To call Africa, or any international calls from the UK, save money by using a cheap prefix. An up to date list is provided by one of our supporters, Martin Lewes and Money Saving Expert, here.