International Programs Director Report

David Branigan’s January 2010 visit to Ghana

On September 27th, Bikes Not Bombs shipped our 4th container of bicycles and parts to our partner in Arusha, Tanzania - the Global Alliance for Africa Vijana Vocational Center. There were 430 bicycles, 38 frames, 200 wheels, 32 bundles of tires and many boxes of parts packed into the container, as well as lots of love and effort.

January 2009 Update

KOFORIDUA, GHANA: ABILITY BIKES

See David Branigan's blog and photos

A group of activists in Brattleboro VT have collected over 175 donated bikes, 55 boxes of books, 75 computers, and several wheelchairs for shipment to Ghana.

Carl Kurz, BNB's International Director and founder, has just visited the Diepsloot Youth Cycles Project, both a youth training center and a full service bicycle shop. Bikes Not Bombs sent bikes, tools, and trainers Alex Twombly and Omar Bhimji to establish this project in 2005.

David Branigan, BNB mechanic, has been in Ghana since May starting a new project (many of you are familiar with the pre-existing Village Bicycle Project in Ghana where we've shipped bikes for years).

On Sunday, June 15th Bikes Not Bombs volunteers loaded a 40' shipping container with 464 donated and many buckets and bundles of spare parts, now on its way to the Diepsloot, South Africa "Youth Cycles Project."

1/16/08
an update from Carl Kurz, BNB's International Director

From 2000 to 2006 Bikes Not Bombs shipped donated bikes to the El Salvadoran Center for Appropriate Technology (CESTA). In 2001 BNB shipped a container of relief aid to CESTA following a massive earthquake. Here is an interview with CESTA's director, printed in Red Pepper, April 2007 http://www.redpepper.org.uk/

Only our very local volunteers got the news and helped out in December, so we just wanted to let everyone know that we successfully loaded and sent another shipment of nearly 500 bicycles to the Village Bicycle Project in Ghana.